A conference titled “Surrogacy: An Ethical and Political Challenge for Europe” was held at the European Parliament, organized at the initiative of Members of the European Conservatives and Reformists. PiS MEP Jadwiga Wiśniewska took part in the event, calling for the development of a coherent European position on the growing phenomenon of surrogacy and emphasizing that this practice constitutes a form of violence and the objectification of human beings.
Addressing the assembled experts, scholars, and representatives of civil society organizations, the MEP noted that surrogacy remains a topic that is still not discussed enough, even though it touches on the most sensitive areas—ethics, family law, reproductive rights, and human rights.
“This meeting is very important because we are addressing a topic that is still discussed too quietly in Europe. Although surrogacy is banned in many countries, it still operates in a gray area—with tacit consent to the exploitation of women. There is no such thing as ethical surrogacy,” she emphasized.
Also present at the event was Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. Wiśniewska called her latest report a landmark document, as it is the first time on the international stage that surrogacy has been unequivocally defined as a system of violence, exploitation, and objectification, and as a practice requiring a global ban. The document has garnered the support of over 200 organizations from 40 countries, which—as the MEP emphasized—gives European policymakers a clear mandate to act.
Jadwiga Wiśniewska also recalled that since the beginning of her term in the European Parliament, she has been advocating for an unequivocal EU position on this issue: she has submitted questions to the European Commission, spoken out during plenary debates, and tabled amendments that led to surrogacy being included in the list of forms of human trafficking. Nevertheless, as she noted, there are still serious gaps in international law that allow for the development of commercial, cross-border surrogacy.
Concluding her speech, the MEP unequivocally drew the lines that are non-negotiable: “A human being is not a product. A woman is not an incubator. A child can never be the subject of a transaction. Human life is not for sale.”
She called for the development of a common European position that would effectively protect women and children from modern forms of exploitation and put an end to commercial surrogacy.
