Euthanasia should be an option for ill children between the ages of one and 12 who are in ‘unbearable pain’ and for whom there is no hope of a cure, Health Minister Ernst Kuipers has said in a briefing to MPs.

Euthanasia for terminally ill babies is not part of the original law but stems from a separate ‘protocol’ drawn up by paediatricians and the health and justice ministries dating from 2005.

Kuipers, acting on the advice of paediatricians, is proposing a similar protocol for children under twelve for whom no formal criteria have been created so far. He has proposed seven criteria including that the child’s suffering is ‘unbearable’ and there is no possibility of a cure or a treatment to alleviate the pain. Palliative care doctors say almost all pain can be controlled today.

Kuipers proposal is currently out to consultation. He will present the final concept in October, when he will also announce when the protocol will come into force.