Brussels – “There is nothing to cure and no one to change. You cannot erase a person’s identity.” This was stated today (13 May) by the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, in response to the European Citizens’ Initiative “Ban conversion practices in the European Union“. Erroneously presented as “therapies”, conversion practices include acts such as mental and physical manipulation, indoctrination, medical interventions, etc., and aim to alter the sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression of LGBTQIA+ people. According to a report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), 24% of LGBTQIA+ people in the EU have been subjected to such practices, a figure that doubles for trans women and men.
“Ban conversion therapy in the European Union” is a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calling for a legally binding ban on conversion therapy targeting LGBTQIA+ people in the European Union. Submitted on 17 November 2025, the initiative has gathered a total of 1,128,063 verified signatures. From that point, the Commission had six months to issue a formal response. This arrived today (13 May) via Lahbib.
In recent months, the Commissioner has met with both the organisers of the Initiative and the victims of such abuses: “We have been given the opportunity to gather data, carefully assess the initiative, and prepare our response. And today we are providing it,” she reiterated. She went on to explain that the Commission intends to adopt a Recommendation, calling on EU Member States to ban conversion practices and emphasising that “they have a vital role to play, as this issue largely falls within their remit.” The Commissioner also noted that “eight Member States have already banned these practices,” so the Commission is building on “this momentum to urge others to follow suit.”
In 2027, the Commission will adopt a recommendation, rather than a legally binding ban as called for by the Initiative and its signatories. However, it plans to implement other complementary measures. In particular, “awareness-raising campaigns to prevent abuse,” “better access to justice for victims,” and “tailored training to strengthen medical and psychological support,” clarified Lahbib. The recommendation will also be drawn up on the basis of a structured dialogue with Member States through an “expert group on LGBTQIA+ equality bringing together Member States and the Commission.” This represents “the first LGBTQIA+ policy forum with civil society that will focus on how to combat conversion practices together,” she then highlighted. The group will also work on “a specific study to fully understand the scope and impact of these practices across the EU“, with results expected in early 2027. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also spoke on the issue, stating that: “Today we are committing to adopting a recommendation to Member States, urging them to ban conversion therapy across the EU. It has no place in our Union.”
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
