Fundacion CitizenGO
cGO
Proveer a los ciudadanos conservadores de una plataforma en internet para facultar e impulsar su participación en la vida pública de sus países y en el ámbito internacional para defender y promover de una forma útil y efectiva la vida, la familia y la libertad.
ID: 986135619786-51
Lobbying Activity
Response to Recognition of parenthood
5 May 2021
Mrs. Ursula Von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
CC
Mr. Joseph Borrell
High Representative of the European Union
Vice-President of the European Commission
Mrs. Dubravka Šuica
Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography
Ms. Margaritis Schinas
Vice-Presidente of the European Commission for Promoting European Way of Life
Brussels, April 28th, 2021
Dear Mrs. President, Ursula Von der Leyen,
We would like to acknowledge to you our concern and those of thousands of European citizens about the policies that are being debated at the European Commission, within the initiative of Cross-border family situations - recognition of parenthood.
There’s a rising concern among European citizens who believe in the importance of the principle of the best interest of the child, in respect for human dignity and sovereignty of all EU Member states, and who oppose the practice of surrogacy, which strongly violates women’s and children’s rights.
The EU is only entitled to make laws in areas where the treaties give it the specific competence to do so. It has no particular competence to make laws related to marriage and parenthood and regulate access to medically assisted procreation, adoption, and surrogacy.
We strongly denounce any initiative of the European Commission that seeks to violate the sovereignty of the Member States and the principle of subsidiarity.
Further, Article 3 (1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (herein, “CRC”) requires taking the “best interests of the child” as a primary consideration in all actions concerning children. However, the fundamental premise of surrogacy is detrimental to children, compromising their dignity and endangering human rights as enshrined in the CRC.
At root, surrogacy deprives children of clear lines of filiation and ultimately commodifies their lives. Indeed, a child born following a surrogacy agreement is deliberately placed into a situation of planned abandonment from his/her biological mother, as well as, potentially, both of his/her genetic parents.
The practice of surrogacy inevitably exposes children to unacceptable levels of legal uncertainty, undermining their right to know their origins, their right to develop a family identity, and any aspirations for family reunification. Whether abandoned or battled for, it is clear that in each situation the child is deprived of a stable and caring environment crucial for his or her development. It is erroneous to think that clear legal rules regarding parentage would suffice to limit interference with the human rights of children born through surrogacy agreements.
CitizenGO and its more than 15 million members firmly believe that that the best interest of the child, respect for human dignity, and sovereignty of the EU Member states should be a priority for the European Commission.
Best regards,
Ignacio Arsuaga
President, CitizenGO
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