France's National Assembly has passed a bill authorizing assisted dying, following years of parliamentary debate.

France’s National Assembly approved a measure to authorize assisted dying on 15 July. The bill passed by a vote of 291 to 241 after three years of parliamentary debate. The legislation is now pending analysis by the French Constitutional Council before it can be enacted into law.

Eligibility and Legislative Context

To qualify for assisted death under the new measure, individuals must be of age, hold French citizenship or residency, and suffer from an incurable, life-threatening condition. Patients must be capable of expressing their wishes freely and demonstrate suffering related to their condition. The bill's passage follows three rejections by the French Senate, though the measure gained significant momentum through support in civil society. The legislation is part of a broader trend of new laws regarding assisted dying across the European Union, driven by medical advancements and an aging population.

European Trends and Access

Studies conducted in 2023 and 2024 indicate that support for euthanasia has grown in most high-income countries over the last four decades, with Western European nations showing higher acceptance than those in Central and Eastern Europe. Currently, Switzerland and Belgium are the only European countries that permit foreigners to access assisted dying services. The Swiss non-profit Dignitas, which assists individuals in these procedures, noted that the French law could reduce the number of people traveling abroad or resorting to high-risk suicide methods. Dignitas reported assisting 4,179 deaths between 1998 and 2025, with 93 percent of those individuals being non-Swiss residents.