The European Union says it will not impose a single EU-wide ban on so-called “conversion therapy” targeting LGBTQ people, but will press member states to take action against the practice. “Conversion therapies” are described as methods intended to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
EU officials state they stopped short of banning the practice across the 27-country bloc after considering how long it could take to negotiate a binding measure. Campaigners had called for a prohibition, including a petition signed by more than one million people that urged the EU to ban the practice.
Separate reporting notes that eight EU countries already ban “conversion therapy,” highlighting uneven rules across the bloc. The EU’s approach therefore leaves implementation largely to national law and enforcement rather than creating a uniform EU legal ban.
Overall, the EU position is framed as a push for member states to act through measures within their own jurisdictions, rather than an immediate EU-wide prohibition.
