
© Domingos Oliveira / RTL
As of 2019, euthanasia has been legal in Luxembourg for ten years. On Tuesday, the national commission for the control and evaluation of euthanasia and assisted suicide submitted its two-year report to the Chamber of Deputies.
The report highlighted that the number of euthanasia cases in Luxembourg has remained constant, but the legislation could require improvement in some areas. In 2018, eight individuals opted to use euthanasia to end their lives compared to eleven in 2017. Overall, 71 people have chosen euthanasia over the past ten years, according to the commission's president, Dr Carlo Bock.
Whilst the number of people availing of euthanasia remained constant, the number of written consent dispositions has risen by around 600 in the past two years. In total more than 3,000 individuals have provided their written consent to choose euthanasia if they are ever in the situation that they may not be able to consciously make that decision.
Dr Bock reported on the statistics, but also recommended that the government improve its information policy. One critique in particular highlighted that the legislation should state that euthanasia is a natural death. The commission also recommended that in cases in which assisted suicide is the only option for patients, the patient in question should not have to be charged with managing the procedure and seeking a doctor. Instead, the commission recommended looking to Quebec legislation for inspiration.
President of the Chamber of Deputies Fernand Etgen acknowledged the critique alongside the president of the parliamentary commission on health Mars di Bartolomeo, who affirmed that he would pass on the feedback to the commission.