World Federation and EUMANs Launch Europe-Wide Petition for Right to Die at Barcelona Conference
BARCELONA, BARCELONA, SPAIN, June 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 18 June 2026
World Federation Right to Die and Eumans Launch Europe-Wide Petition at Barcelona Conference
BARCELONA, SPAIN — The World Federation Right to Die and Eumans will co-host a one-day international conference in Barcelona on 19 June 2026, at which a Europe-wide petition on voluntary assisted dying will be launched.
The event, free and open to the public, takes place at the Ateneu Barcelonès, Sala Jacint Verdaguer, from 9.45 am to 1.40 pm. It will bring together speakers from Spain, Hungary, Norway, France, Italy, and Ireland to share personal testimonies, examine the legal and legislative landscape across Europe, and discuss voluntary assisted dying in the context of the fundamental rights of European citizens.
The petition launch marks the start of a coordinated Europe-wide campaign by the two organisations. A number of surveys across European nations have recorded majority public support for assisted dying reform, while legislative changes have proceeded at varying rates across member states.
“The evidence from polling across Europe is clear: the public supports change, and by substantial majorities. Our petition, jointly launched today with Eumans!, is a direct message to European politicians: the people you represent have spoken, and they deserve to be heard. Barcelona is where that message begins its journey across the continent.”
Peter Warren, Executive Director, World Federation Right to Die
The conference programme covers developments across several European countries. Speakers include Dr. Evelyn Frank of the Karsai Dániel Foundation, presenting the case of Dr. Dániel Karsai v. the Hungarian Government and its implications for the rest of Europe; and Truls de Lange, presenting the case of Rikke de Lange from Norway. Alice Spaccini of Eumans and Associazione Luca Coscioni will address developments in Italy, where legal challenges have led to rulings by the Constitutional Court, and will present arguments for EU-level action on assisted dying.
The conference takes place in the context of an evolving legislative landscape across Europe. Assisted dying is permitted by law in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg. In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, assisted suicide is permitted in certain circumstances. In Scotland and at Westminster, bills on assisted dying did not pass. In Italy, assisted suicide is decriminalised under defined conditions established by the Constitutional Court in 2019. In the absence of national legislation, Associazione Luca Coscioni has collected over 70,000 signatures in support of a citizens’ bill to legalise euthanasia, and since 2024 has promoted regional legislation to implement the 2019 ruling. Tuscany and Sardinia have adopted such measures, while similar processes are under way in other regions.
The variation in legal frameworks across European countries forms the backdrop to the two organisations’ decision to launch a coordinated campaign at the European level.
About the World Federation Right to Die
The World Federation Right to Die is the global umbrella organisation for the right-to-die movement, representing member organisations in more than 50 countries. It campaigns for the universal right to a peaceful and dignified death and hosts the biennial World Federation Conference, next taking place in Tokyo, 26–28 November 2026.
About Eumans
Eumans is a pan-European civic movement bringing together citizens, activists, and civil society organisations from across Europe in grassroots, citizen-led mobilisations. It campaigns for participatory democracy, human rights, and sustainability, promoting transnational initiatives that give citizens a direct role in shaping European policy.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Peter Warren | Executive Director, World Federation Right to Die
Email: peterwarren@wfrtds.org
For comment and interview requests in English
Maria-Jose Ania | International Working Group, DMD-CAT
Email: mjania@dmd.cat
For comment and interview requests in Catalan or Spanish
Alice Spaccini | Eumans
Email: alice.spaccini@associazionelucacoscioni.it
For comment and interview requests in Italian or English
PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS
Date
Friday 19 June 2026
Time 9.45am – 1.40pm (doors open 9.45am)
Venue Ateneu Barcelonès, Sala Jacint Verdaguer, C. de la Canuda 6, 08002 Barcelona
Admission Free
TIME SESSION
09:45 Arrival and registration
10:00 Welcome — Glòria Cantarell, Vice-President, DMD-CAT
10:10 Legal euthanasia in Spain: the road to legalisation — Maria-José Ania, DMD-CAT
10:35 Dr Dániel Karsai v. Hungary — Dr Evelyn Frank, Karsai Dániel Foundation
11:00 The case of Rikke de Lange (Norway) — Truls de Lange
11:25 The case for EU intervention — Alice Spaccini, ALC and Eumans
12:00 Coffee and conversation
12:40 Round-table: voices from Spain, Italy, Norway, Hungary, France, Ireland
13:30 Launch of the European-wide petition — Peter Warren, World Federation
13:40 Press statement and photocall
World Federation Right to Die and Eumans Launch Europe-Wide Petition at Barcelona Conference
BARCELONA, SPAIN — The World Federation Right to Die and Eumans will co-host a one-day international conference in Barcelona on 19 June 2026, at which a Europe-wide petition on voluntary assisted dying will be launched.
The event, free and open to the public, takes place at the Ateneu Barcelonès, Sala Jacint Verdaguer, from 9.45 am to 1.40 pm. It will bring together speakers from Spain, Hungary, Norway, France, Italy, and Ireland to share personal testimonies, examine the legal and legislative landscape across Europe, and discuss voluntary assisted dying in the context of the fundamental rights of European citizens.
The petition launch marks the start of a coordinated Europe-wide campaign by the two organisations. A number of surveys across European nations have recorded majority public support for assisted dying reform, while legislative changes have proceeded at varying rates across member states.
“The evidence from polling across Europe is clear: the public supports change, and by substantial majorities. Our petition, jointly launched today with Eumans!, is a direct message to European politicians: the people you represent have spoken, and they deserve to be heard. Barcelona is where that message begins its journey across the continent.”
Peter Warren, Executive Director, World Federation Right to Die
The conference programme covers developments across several European countries. Speakers include Dr. Evelyn Frank of the Karsai Dániel Foundation, presenting the case of Dr. Dániel Karsai v. the Hungarian Government and its implications for the rest of Europe; and Truls de Lange, presenting the case of Rikke de Lange from Norway. Alice Spaccini of Eumans and Associazione Luca Coscioni will address developments in Italy, where legal challenges have led to rulings by the Constitutional Court, and will present arguments for EU-level action on assisted dying.
The conference takes place in the context of an evolving legislative landscape across Europe. Assisted dying is permitted by law in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg. In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, assisted suicide is permitted in certain circumstances. In Scotland and at Westminster, bills on assisted dying did not pass. In Italy, assisted suicide is decriminalised under defined conditions established by the Constitutional Court in 2019. In the absence of national legislation, Associazione Luca Coscioni has collected over 70,000 signatures in support of a citizens’ bill to legalise euthanasia, and since 2024 has promoted regional legislation to implement the 2019 ruling. Tuscany and Sardinia have adopted such measures, while similar processes are under way in other regions.
The variation in legal frameworks across European countries forms the backdrop to the two organisations’ decision to launch a coordinated campaign at the European level.
About the World Federation Right to Die
The World Federation Right to Die is the global umbrella organisation for the right-to-die movement, representing member organisations in more than 50 countries. It campaigns for the universal right to a peaceful and dignified death and hosts the biennial World Federation Conference, next taking place in Tokyo, 26–28 November 2026.
About Eumans
Eumans is a pan-European civic movement bringing together citizens, activists, and civil society organisations from across Europe in grassroots, citizen-led mobilisations. It campaigns for participatory democracy, human rights, and sustainability, promoting transnational initiatives that give citizens a direct role in shaping European policy.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Peter Warren | Executive Director, World Federation Right to Die
Email: peterwarren@wfrtds.org
For comment and interview requests in English
Maria-Jose Ania | International Working Group, DMD-CAT
Email: mjania@dmd.cat
For comment and interview requests in Catalan or Spanish
Alice Spaccini | Eumans
Email: alice.spaccini@associazionelucacoscioni.it
For comment and interview requests in Italian or English
PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS
Date
Friday 19 June 2026
Time 9.45am – 1.40pm (doors open 9.45am)
Venue Ateneu Barcelonès, Sala Jacint Verdaguer, C. de la Canuda 6, 08002 Barcelona
Admission Free
TIME SESSION
09:45 Arrival and registration
10:00 Welcome — Glòria Cantarell, Vice-President, DMD-CAT
10:10 Legal euthanasia in Spain: the road to legalisation — Maria-José Ania, DMD-CAT
10:35 Dr Dániel Karsai v. Hungary — Dr Evelyn Frank, Karsai Dániel Foundation
11:00 The case of Rikke de Lange (Norway) — Truls de Lange
11:25 The case for EU intervention — Alice Spaccini, ALC and Eumans
12:00 Coffee and conversation
12:40 Round-table: voices from Spain, Italy, Norway, Hungary, France, Ireland
13:30 Launch of the European-wide petition — Peter Warren, World Federation
13:40 Press statement and photocall
peter warren
World Federation Right to Die Societies
+34 636 36 34 09
peterwarren@wfrtds.org
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