Eight MEPs from across the political spectrum have asked the European Commission to explain how it plans to tackle the persistent practice of forced sterilisation of women with disabilities in the EU, particularly in institutional settings. In a written parliamentary question submitted on 11 June 2026, the cross-party group urges the Commission to adopt concrete measures, including a long-awaited recommendation on preventing harmful practices against women and girls, and to establish EU-wide monitoring of such cases.
The question, led by Katrin Langensiepen (Verts/ALE) and co-signed by Merja Kyllönen (The Left), Marie Toussaint (Verts/ALE), Jagna Marczułajtis-Walczak (PPE), Marc Angel (S&D), Kathleen Funchion (The Left), Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE), and Gabriella Gerzsenyi (PPE), cites reports from the European Disability Forum indicating that forced sterilisation continues to occur across Member States, violating the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
whether the Commission plans to adopt its anticipated recommendation on harmful practices; what data it collects on forced sterilisation cases, including in institutions, and whether it will set up EU-wide monitoring; and what steps it is taking under Directive (EU) 2024/1385 on combating violence against women to ensure all Member States explicitly criminalise forced sterilisation.
The directive, adopted in May 2024, requires Member States to criminalise certain forms of violence against women, but the MEPs argue it must be used to explicitly prohibit forced sterilisation. The Commission is expected to reply within six weeks; its answer will signal whether it intends to strengthen enforcement and data collection on this issue.
Women with disabilities in institutional settings would benefit directly from clearer safeguards and criminalisation. National authorities would face new reporting and legal obligations. Disability rights organisations would gain leverage for monitoring. Healthcare and social care providers in institutions could face compliance costs and legal risks if forced sterilisation is explicitly banned.