Banning Conversion Therapy Practices in the European Union

Author: Ana Budeanu

May 24, 2026

HRRC is encouraged by the European Union’s efforts to establish a ban on conversion therapy practices. However, we emphasise that discriminatory policies within the LGBTQIA+ therapy context must be regularly reviewed to better protect human rights and the patients’ well-being. Further, we call for the support of victims of conversion practices, ensuring they receive appropriate help and justice.

Colorful pride parade in Riga, Latvia with participants holding rainbow flags. Celebrating LGBTQ+ pride. [Image credit: Anastasiya Badun via Pexels]

In the European Union, the ban on conversion practices has been an active subject for years and, recently, Commissioner Lahbib has taken the stand on the European Citizens' Initiative “Ban on conversion practices in the European Union”, which was submitted in November 2025.

Commissioner Lahbib has spoken about “Sarah” who has been through conversion, a practice which involves forced medication, physical and verbal violence, electric shocks, isolation, psychological harassment, sexual abuse and rape. This practice is called “therapy” for members of the LGBTQIA+, aiming to change, repress, or suppress their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, and is legal across the EU with the exception of eight member states: Malta, France, Spain, Belgium, Cyprus, Portugal, Germany and Greece.

According to Commissioner Lahbib, in 2027, the EU will issue a recommendation on the European Citizens' Initiative “Ban on conversion practices in the European Union” which will build momentum for LGBTQIA+ people’s rights, rather than a legally binding legislative act. The EU also plans to add a series of complementary measures that will support LGBTQIA+ people in order to help citizens avoid conversion practices or to mitigate their effects, such as awareness-raising campaigns to prevent abuse, better access to justice for victims, and tailored training to strengthen medical and psychological support.

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Glossary

• Commissioner - a member of a commission

• Complementary - serving to fill out or complete

• Conversion practices - the use of any of various methods (such as aversive stimulation or religious counseling) in an attempt to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual or to change a person's gender identity to correspond to the sex the person was identified as having at birth

• Electric Shocks - the treatment of mental illness and especially depression by the application of electric current to the head of a usually anesthetized patient that induces unconsciousness and convulsive seizures in the brain —abbreviation ECT

• European Union - economic, scientific, and political organization consisting of Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia

• Gender Expression - the physical and behavioral manifestations of one's gender identity

• Gender Identity - a person's internal sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor female

• Initiative - an initiative is an important act or statement that is intended to solve a problem.

• Mitigate - to cause to become less harsh or hostile

• Psychological Harassment - psychological harassment is a form of vexatious behaviour that involves repeated hostile and unwanted words, behaviour, or actions that are painful, hurtful, annoying, humiliating or insulting. In such situations, the victim’s dignity and psychological or physical health is threatened and the work or study environment becomes toxic.

• Recommendation - something (such as a procedure) recommended

• Sexual Orientation - a person's sexual identity or self-identification as bisexual, straight, gay, pansexual, etc. : the state of being bisexual, straight, gay, pansexual, etc.

• To Repress - to prevent the natural or normal expression, activity, or development of

• To Suppress - to inhibit the growth or development of

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References

1. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_26_1077

2. https://www.eunews.it/en/2026/05/13/the-eu-commission-calls-on-member-states-to-ban-conversion-practices/

3. https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2024/000001_en 

4. https://database.ilga.org/conversion-therapies-lgbti 

5. https://www.ilga-europe.org/report/rainbow-map-2026/