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European Commission moves towards EU action against conversion practices

by Timothy••2

Europe’s leading LGBTQIA+ organisation, ILGA-Europe, has welcomed a new commitment by the European Commission to introduce a Recommendation aimed at ending so-called conversion practices across the European Union.

The organisation described the announcement as an important step forward for the protection of LGBTI people across Europe, particularly at a time when legal protections remain uneven between member states.

The planned Recommendation would encourage EU countries to introduce measures against practices that attempt to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (SOGIE). ILGA-Europe also welcomed the Commission’s explicit inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in the proposal, arguing that trans and non-binary people are often especially vulnerable to coercive practices.

The announcement comes shortly after the publication of ILGA-Europe’s annual Rainbow Map, which tracks legal and policy developments affecting LGBTI people across Europe. According to the organisation, only eight EU countries currently have nationwide bans on conversion practices: Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Malta, Portugal, and Spain.

“Ending conversion practices cannot be reduced to symbolism or fragmented national action,” said Katrin Hugendubel, deputy director of ILGA-Europe. “It requires clear EU-wide direction, and that is what the Commission commits to today: support for national legislative bans in every Member State, proper training for professionals, and survivor-centred support systems that recognise the scale of the harm.”

Hugendubel added: “Conversion practices are not a matter of belief or therapy, but a form of violence disguised as care that Europe can and should end. We have high expectations that this Recommendation will be swiftly translated into national bans, professional accountability, and real protection for survivors across Europe.”

ILGA-Europe is now calling on the European Commission to ensure the Recommendation leads to concrete action in all member states, including enforceable bans, professional oversight and support services for survivors.

European Parliament previously backed EU-wide ban

The Commission’s announcement follows growing political momentum within European institutions. In April, the European Parliament voted in favour of supporting an EU-wide ban on conversion therapy, a move campaigners described as a major breakthrough for LGBTQIA+ rights across the bloc.

The parliamentary vote came after a European Citizens’ Initiative launched in early 2024 by ACT LGBT gathered more than 1.2 million signatures demanding EU action against the practice. The initiative urged the European Commission, the only EU institution with the power to propose binding legislation, to introduce a ban covering both minors and adults throughout the European Union.

Conversion therapy – often referred to by campaigners and institutions as ‘conversion practices’ – includes a wide range of methods aimed at changing, suppressing or denying a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. 

Major medical and psychological organisations have repeatedly condemned the practice, warning that it lacks scientific credibility and can cause lasting psychological harm.

The growing pressure for action is also visible beyond the EU institutions themselves. In January 2026, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution urging all member states to introduce comprehensive bans on conversion practices.

Patchwork of laws across Europe

Despite increasing support for bans, legal protections still vary widely across Europe.

Countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Malta, Spain, Cyprus ,and Portugal have introduced nationwide bans criminalising conversion practices. Outside the EU, countries such as Iceland and Norway have also adopted prohibitions.

Elsewhere, protections remain more limited. In countries such as Albania, Greece, and Switzerland, restrictions mainly apply to medical professionals or indirectly prohibit practices based on discriminatory diagnoses linked to sexual orientation or gender identity.

Campaigners argue that the fragmented legal landscape leaves many LGBTQIA+ people vulnerable, particularly in countries without clear legislation or enforcement mechanisms.

Growing global pressure

Momentum for bans is also increasing globally. According to campaigners, 28 countries worldwide had implemented some form of restriction on conversion therapy by April 2026.

Countries including Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico have enacted nationwide bans, while others – including Brazil, Chile, and India – prohibit the practice within healthcare settings or among licensed professionals. In federal systems such as Australia and the United States, protections often differ by region or state.

International health organisations, including the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association, have long opposed conversion therapy, describing it as a pseudoscientific practice that can contribute to depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

For LGBTQIA+ organisations across Europe, the latest commitment from the European Commission is therefore being viewed not as the end of the debate, but as the possible beginning of a coordinated European framework against conversion practices.

LGBTQIA+ and travel

🇧🇪 Blogger, keen vexillologist, train conductor NMBS/SNCB, traveller, F1 follower, friend of Dorothy.

2 thoughts on “European Commission moves towards EU action against conversion practices”

  1. Pingback: BELGIUM 2026 | Homophobic violence persists as conservative ideas gain ground in Belgium – Sidetrack

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