Across the EU, end-of-life decisions and patient autonomy are still governed by very different national rules, and people’s wishes may cease to be respected when they cross a border. The European Citizens’ Initiative “My Last Right”, promoted by Eumans, the World Federation of Right to Die Societies and a coalition of organisations from across Europe, calls for end-of-life self-determination to be recognised as a matter of human dignity, as enshrined in Article 1 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The roundtable will bring together national experiences, legal perspectives and civil-society voices to identify common challenges and build political momentum for concrete EU action to ensure that dignity, autonomy and end-of-life rights are equally safeguarded throughout Europe. It will also present a concrete proposal for the mutual recognition of advance directives (“living wills”) across Member States and exploring how existing EU instruments can support cross-border continuity of care as well as the respect for patients’ expressed wishes.
From 11:30 to 12:00, a dedicated session will bring together attending MEPs to discuss possible concrete initiatives at EU level, with a particular focus on the mutual recognition of advance directives (“living wills”) across Member States.
