MEPs included “commercial surrogacy” among a list of increasing violations of human rights and democratic values in their 2023 annual report. Ireland is about to adopt one of the most permissive regimes in Europe concerning the practice. The law will be against commercial surrogacy on paper but will allow surrogate mothers to be paid “reasonable expenses” which can to tens of thousands of euro.

The report was adopted on Wednesday by 377 votes for, 90 against and 68 abstentions.

Under the heading of “Rights of women, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender equality”, the Parliament, “Reiterates its condemnation of the commercial practice of surrogacy, a global phenomenon that exposes women worldwide to exploitation and human trafficking, while targeting financially and socially vulnerable women in particular; highlights its severe impact on women, women’s rights, and women’s health, and underlines its crossborder implications”.

The rapporteur Nacho Sánchez Amor (S&D, ES), said after the vote: “One of the humanity’s most fundamental achievements has been to embrace that every human being has a set of inherent, inalienable, individual and indivisible rights. However, in recent decades illiberal and authoritarian regimes have called these onto question. It is therefore crucial, now more than ever, that the EU and like-minded partners invest all efforts and resources in their defence.”