Overview

• French deputies have unanimously approved a proposal establishing a legal right to palliative care and creating 'maisons d’accompagnement' for end-of-life support.
• The legislative initiative is split into two proposals: one for palliative care expansion and another for assisted dying under strict conditions.
• An amendment by Élise Leboucher allows patients seeking assisted dying to choose between self-administration or administration by healthcare professionals.
• The proposed law outlines five cumulative eligibility criteria for assisted dying, including age, residency, severe incurable illness, unbearable suffering, and capacity for informed consent.
• Health Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed that an opinion from the Haute Autorité de Santé on eligibility criteria is expected in the coming days, ahead of further parliamentary debate.