World Federation Right to Die and Eumans launch Europe-wide petition in Barcelona

The World Federation Right to Die and Eumans will launch a Europe-wide petition on voluntary assisted dying at a free public conference in Barcelona on 19 June 2026. The campaign comes as assisted-dying laws remain uneven across Europe, with organizers arguing public support is ahead of legislation. Why it matters: - The petition is designed to turn broad public support for assisted-dying reform into a coordinated Europe-wide campaign. - Organizers say the effort targets European policymakers as legal access to voluntary assisted dying remains fragmented across the continent. - The push comes as several European countries still lack national legislation, while others allow assisted dying or assisted suicide only in limited circumstances. What happened: - The World Federation Right to Die and Eumans will co-host a one-day international conference in Barcelona on 19 June 2026. - The event is free and open to the public. - The conference will take place at the Ateneu Barcelonès, Sala Jacint Verdaguer, from 9:45 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. - The organizations will launch a Europe-wide petition on voluntary assisted dying during the event. - Speakers from Spain, Hungary, Norway, France, Italy and Ireland are scheduled to discuss personal testimonies, legal developments and fundamental rights. The details: - Peter Warren, executive director of the World Federation Right to Die, said polling across Europe shows public support for change by substantial majorities. - Warren said the petition is a direct message to European politicians and that Barcelona is the starting point for the campaign across the continent. - Dr. Evelyn Frank of the Karsai Dániel Foundation will present the case of Dr. Dániel Karsai v. the Hungarian Government. - Truls de Lange will present the case of Rikke de Lange from Norway. - Alice Spaccini of Eumans and Associazione Luca Coscioni will address developments in Italy and argue for EU-level action on assisted dying. - Assisted dying is permitted by law in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Luxembourg. - Assisted suicide is permitted in certain circumstances in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. - Bills on assisted dying did not pass in Scotland or at Westminster. - In Italy, assisted suicide is decriminalized under conditions set by the Constitutional Court in 2019. - Associazione Luca Coscioni has collected more than 70,000 signatures for a citizens’ bill to legalize euthanasia. - Since 2024, Associazione Luca Coscioni has promoted regional legislation to implement the 2019 ruling. - Tuscany and Sardinia have adopted those measures. - Similar processes are under way in other Italian regions. Between the lines: - The Barcelona event reflects a strategy shift from national advocacy to cross-border pressure at the European level. - The mix of personal cases and legal analysis suggests the campaign is trying to connect individual hardship with a broader rights-based argument. - The uneven legal map across Europe gives organizers a concrete example of why they want coordinated action rather than country-by-country reform. What’s next: - The petition launch at 1:30 p.m. on 19 June will mark the formal start of the Europe-wide campaign. - The World Federation Right to Die will next hold its biennial conference in Tokyo from 26 to 28 November 2026. - The organizers will also hold a press statement and photocall at 1:40 p.m. after the petition launch. The bottom line: - Barcelona is becoming the launchpad for a cross-border push to make assisted-dying reform a European political issue, not just a national one.