Bioethics
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Western Europe
Prenatal sex discrimination: Dutch midwives seeing more sex-selective abortions
When a pregnancy happens, many feel tempted to pop the old question: a boy or a girl? Early ultrasounds turn out to facilitate sex-selective terminations. > Stay up to date with Christian news in Europe? Sign up for CNE's newsletter. Now, it is getting easier to know the gender early.…
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European Union
Can a foetus feel the pain of an abortion? Some researchers think so
It was the woman's ninth pregnancy. Serbian Dr. Stojan Adasevic grabbed his forceps, just as he did for the more than 48,000 abortions he performed. It was the woman's ninth pregnancy. Serbian Dr. Stojan Adasevic grabbed his forceps, just as he did for the more than 48,000 abortions he performed.…
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European Union
Why embryos and donor sperm remain on the negotiating table
Last year in February, the US state of Alabama surprised Europe and the rest of the world. Frozen embryos should be deemed as children. It was the state's highest court that ruled that frozen embryos made within the process of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) should be deemed as offspring. The…
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Central Europe
How the Polish government fails to change the abortion law
In the election campaign, Donald Tusk promised to liberalise the abortion law in Poland. But now he is prime minister; he realises that his coalition does not have enough votes for this. Now, he plans to ease the regulations in the hospitals. In 2020, Poland's court issued a landmark ruling…
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European Union
Book review: Fifteen arguments against surrogacy
In the fight against infertility, an increasing group seeks refuge in surrogate motherhood. In tolerating this, European countries have crossed borders that should have remained closed, argue various experts and activists. But something is missing. Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands are just a few examples of European countries that…
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Eastern Europe
Ukrainian initiative unites Christians from Baltic and beyond
A group of Ukrainians have started a collective to call Christians to protect their spiritual values. The initiative is called “Platform of Christian Unity in the Baltic and Black Sea Region,” and it aims to organise meetups for Christians around Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. Its vision has the long-term…
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Southern Europe
Olivia was born through a surrogate mother: 'I always knew something was wrong'
Something was just wrong, but Olivia Maurel did not know what. Until she found out that her parents paid for her. She found her biological mother after a long search.> Receive CNE's weekly newsletter? Feel free to sign up here.Olivia Maurel always knew something was “off” about her birth. The…
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European Union
European politicians fear changing tide in surrogacy debate
Surrogacy violates human rights and should therefore be banned, some European parliamentarians say. But that is easier said than done, experts warn. The experts and MEP gathered at a conference on surrogacy on Tuesday in the European Parliament in Brussels. According to the organisers, the European Union is taking initiatives…
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Western Europe
Surrogacy expert slams proposed Dutch regulation, predicting increased demand
Only one in 50 surrogate mothers has no financial interest. The other 49 women carry someone else’s child for commercial reasons. Yet, the Dutch government will draft legislation that allows altruistic surrogacy. “If you regulate the practice, it will spread massively.” The Dutch Reformed SGP party is “somewhat baffled” by…