THE EU PARLIAMENT has condemned the violation of same-sex parents’ rights by Italy’s new ultraconservative government as it moves to restrict the registration of children.

The city of Milan had been registering children of same-sex couples conceived overseas through surrogacy, which is illegal in Italy, or medically assisted reproduction, which is only available for heterosexual couples.

However, its centre-left mayor Beppe Sala has confirmed that these registrations have stopped after the interior ministry sent a letter insisting that the courts must decide. 

The mayor came to Brussels to seek MEPs’ support during a session yesterday and today. 

MEPs said that they fear the Milan move is “part of a broader attack against the LGBTQI+ community in Italy”.

They urged the Italian government to “immediately rescind its decision” in an amendment to a 2022 report on the rule of law in the EU put forward by Renew Europe, a group of centrist and liberal MEPs.

They said the “decision will inevitably lead to discrimination against not only same-sex couples, but also primarily their children”, adding it was “a direct breach of children’s rights” under a UN convention.

Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came to power last year after a campaign during which she placed a strong emphasis on so-called traditional family values.  

Italy legalised same-sex civil unions in 2016 but opposition from the Catholic Church meant it stopped short of granting gay couples the right to adopt.

Decisions were made on a case-by-case basis by the courts as parents take legal action, although some local authorities decided to act unilaterally, including Milan.

Family law in the EU is decided by each member state but the European Commission in December presented a proposal that would require every country in the bloc to recognise parents’ rights granted in another nation.

The plan would protect children of same-sex families travelling within the EU.

© AFP 2023