The 'Ban on conversion practices in the European Union' initiative was submitted to the European Commission on 17 November 2025, after having gathered 1,128,063 verified statements of support. See European Commission News.
On 12 December 2025, the initiative organisers presented the objectives of their initiative in a meeting with Commissioner Lahbib and European Commission officials, in line with Article 15 of the ECI Regulation. See the photo news.
This initiative was also presented in a public hearing at the European Parliament on 2 March 2026, in accordance with Article 14(2) of the ECI Regulation. During the hearing, the organisers provided details about their objectives, and Members of the European Parliament exchanged views on the initiative. Watch the public hearing recording or read the press release.
The European Parliament held a debate on this initiative in its plenary session on 25 March 2026. Watch the recording.
The Commission adopted a Communication on 13 May 2026 setting out its response to this initiative. See the Commission's press release and Remarks by Commissioner Lahbib on the Commission's reply.
Answer of the European Commission
Main conclusions of the Communication:
In its reply, the Commission announced its intention to adopt a Commission Recommendation, calling on EU Member States to ban conversion practices.
The Commission will adopt its Recommendation in 2027, committing to support countries in their efforts to ban these harmful practices. The Commission will also propose complementary measures.
The Recommendation will be informed by:
• a structured dialogue with Member States through the Expert Group on LGBTIQ+ equality and good practices from those Member States who have bans already in place;
• the new LGBTIQ+ Policy Forum and engagement with civil society organisations;
• the ongoing in-depth study on conversion practice.
