European Parliament Takes Strong Stand Against Surrogacy

With a substantial majority -310 in favor, 222 against, and 68 abstentions -MEPs approved a framework resolution for the 2026-2030 Gender Equality Strategy, which includes comprehensive measures on women’s rights, healthcare, employment, and protection against gender-based violence.

One of the most significant elements of the resolution is the unequivocal condemnation of surrogacy, which is described as a form of reproductive exploitation. Parliamentarians stressed that the practice involves the “use of women’s bodies for economic or other gain,” particularly when vulnerable women in third countries are involved, where economic pressures and the absence of regulatory frameworks create conditions for abuse.
Through the resolution, the European Parliament urges the European Commission to take action against the practice, proposing the reinforcement of preventive and protective measures.

The decision brings the debate over surrogacy back to the European stage, a topic that has sparked intense social and political controversy in recent years. While surrogacy is not uniformly regulated across EU member states - with some banning it entirely and others allowing certain forms -the European Parliament has now adopted a clear critical stance.

This position is expected to influence future Commission initiatives as well as national debates across member states. Within the broader agenda on rights, equality, and women’s protection, surrogacy remains a central policy issue, given that the practice has created regulatory “grey zones” from which some have profited.
Beyond surrogacy, the resolution addresses other key areas: it calls for the recognition of gender-based violence as a serious crime across the EU and the full implementation of relevant legislation, including introducing a consent-based definition of rape in European law.
On healthcare, Parliament demands universal access to women-centered services and strengthened disease prevention for conditions disproportionately affecting women. A central aim is the creation of a binding European framework for reproductive rights, including a proposal to incorporate the right to safe and legal abortion into the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

In the professional sphere, the resolution advocates measures to reduce pay and pension gaps, fully implement transparency directives, increase women’s participation on corporate boards, and enhance work-life balance.
Finally, it calls for stronger mechanisms to combat democratic backsliding and attacks on women’s rights, and for the integration of the “Women, Peace, and Security” agenda into EU foreign policy.