French President Emmanuel Macron said he would propose legislation in May for adults to "ask to be helped to die" when they are faced with terminal illnesses.
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans for a bill to legalize medical assistance in dying for adults diagnosed with an incurable disease and facing imminent death.
Macron told newspapers La Croix and Liberation that the new legislation to legalize "aid in dying" under certain conditions would be put forward in parliament in May.
The bill will apply to adults who are fully capable of making decisions and to those facing "intractable" physical or psychological pain and death in "short or middle-term," Macron said.
Minors and patients suffering from psychiatric or neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's will not be eligible.
The move follows a report last year that indicated most French citizens support legalizing end-of-life options.
Proposed law to give people humane options in death
Macron gave the example of people with terminal cancer, some of whom had traveled elsewhere to seek assistance in dying.
He was clear the legislation will refer to "aid in dying... becase its simple and humane" rather than terms like euthanasia or medically assisted suicide.
The legislation is meant to offer "a possible path, in a determined situation, with precise criteria, where the medical decision is playing its role.” Only people above 18 will be allowed to request the help.
