Emilia‑Romagna passes assisted‑suicide law, third Italian region to enact procedures

The Emilia‑Romagna regional assembly approved a law regulating medically assisted suicide, becoming the third Italian region—after Tuscany and Sardinia—to establish detailed procedures. The measure applies to patients with irreversible illnesses who suffer intolerable physical or psychological pain, are capable of autonomous decision‑making and are not dependent on life‑support machines. It creates a multidisciplinary evaluation commission (CoVam) that includes doctors, palliativists, anesthetists, legal and ethical experts, and requires patients to be fully informed about all therapeutic alternatives, including palliative care. The process is free of charge, and participation by health‑care staff is voluntary. The law implements the Constitutional Court’s rulings (sentences 242/2019 and 135/2024) that recognized a right to assisted suicide under strict conditions. Support came from centre‑left parties (PD, Alleanza Verde‑Sinistra, Civici, Movimento 5 Stelle) and the Luca Coscioni Association, while centre‑right parties (FdI, Forza Italia, Lega, Rete Civica) opposed it, calling the regional action a “fuga in avanti.” The regional president, Michele de Pascale, stressed that the law fills a national void but reiterated the need for a uniform national framework. Earlier, the Constitutional Court reaffirmed that assisted suicide remains prohibited for patients not on life‑support, underscoring the legal backdrop of the new regional legislation.