Brussels, 14 November 2025

On Thursday 13 November 2025, in the resolution “Gender Equality Strategy”, the European Parliament clearly expressed its view that it :

“Condemns the practice of surrogacy, which involves the reproductive exploitation and use of women’s bodies for financial or other gain, in particular in the case of especially vulnerable women in third countries; calls on the Commission to take measures to support ending this phenomenon;“
Vincenzo Bassi, President of FAFCE declared : “I welcome the European Parliament resolution of 13 November 2025, which condemns surrogacy as an exploitation of the female body. With this vote, there are no longer any misunderstandings: the human body is an inalienable asset and life is a gift from conception. This is a first step towards the desirable international ban on surrogacy, which is necessary to protect women and children from all forms of commodification. The European Parliament today affirms a clear principle: human dignity is non-negotiable.“
With this vote, the fate of the so-called “European Certificate of Parenthood” seems now very uncertain. As denounced by FAFCE in its 2023 Autumn Board Meeting Resolution, this Regulation would enable parenthood as established in a EU Member State to be recognised throughout the EU, including in situations such as surrogacy.
The fight against reproductive exploitation of mothers, also called surrogacy, is a long-term struggle by many actors from States and NGOs. For years, our Federation has been denouncing surrogacy as a violation of human dignity. 
Surrogacy indeed entails the commodification of women’s body for reproductive purposes and the selling of children.Even when a surrogate mother consents to the commodification of her body and reproductive functions, the consent is biased and thus void.
In early 2024, FAFCE cooperated in the Casablanca Declaration conference, which featured a broad range of voices in opposition surrogacy. From Italian ministers of government to supranational representatives, from those with personal experience of surrogacy to expert researchers – a diverse movement echoed the need to abolish surrogacy.
In 2021, the European Parliament already stated that the “sexual exploitation for surrogacy and reproductive purposes […] is unacceptable and a violation of human dignity and human rights.”
https://www.fafce.org/press-release-i-surrogacy-included-in-the-list-of-offences-for-human-trafficking/
https://www.fafce.org/fafce-welcomes-inclusion-of-surrogacy-in-human-trafficking-directive/
https://www.fafce.org/fafce-welcomes-inclusion-of-the-exploitation-of-surrogacy-in-human-trafficking-directive/
https://www.fafce.org/fafce-calls-the-european-commission-to-include-surrogacy-in-the-review-of-its-eu-directive-on-human-trafficking/