European Commission has announced plans to urge EU member states to ban so-called conversion practices targeting LGBTQ+ people through a non-binding recommendation.
The move comes after more than 1.2 million European citizens signed a European Citizens' Initiative last year calling for an EU-wide ban.
"Today, we are committing to adopting a recommendation urging member states to prohibit conversion practices throughout the European Union," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement released ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on 17 May.
"These practices have no place in our Union," she added.
Conversion practices refer to interventions aimed at changing or suppressing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. They are based on the discredited idea that LGBTQ+ people are "ill" and can include physical or sexual violence, humiliation and verbal abuse.
According to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, around 24% of LGBTQ+ people in the EU say they have been exposed to such practices.
United Nations experts have previously warned that conversion practices may amount to acts of torture and have repeatedly called for their prohibition.
Equality Commissioner Hadja Lahbib described the practices as "medieval" during a press briefing on Wednesday.
She explained that the Commission opted for a recommendation rather than binding legislation because an EU-wide law would likely require unanimous support from all member states.
"The responsibility lies in the hands of member states," Lahbib said, arguing that a recommendation could prove more effective politically than a proposal likely to become blocked.
The Commission plans to present its recommendation in 2027 and support member states in implementing it by sharing existing best practices.
Eight EU countries, including Belgium, have already banned conversion practices. The Netherlands is expected to follow soon.
