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To avoid what she considers a painful administrative procedure, Elke Sleurs proposes to double the validity of the declarations.

Senator N-VA Elke Sleurs proposed Friday that the anticipated euthanasia declarations remain valid for a period of ten years compared to the actual five years. Since 2008, the law allows to make these declarations before the commune.

According to numbers compiled by Health minister Laurette Onkelinx, cited by Mrs Sleurs, some 40,000 people, 62% of them women, have already filled out such a declaration. Five years after the act came into effect in this system, they must start to confirm them.

To avoid what she considers a painful administrative procedure, Elke Sleurs proposes de double the validity date of the declarations which will have to be renewed after ten years, a delay that she deems more adequate to verify if the person has not had a change of opinion.

Comments: How can we learn from the Belgian experience?

1) Under the pretext of a "painful" administrative procedure and only five years after the putting in place of such a procedure... Belgian senators want to extend to 10 years the validity of the anticipated declarations.

2) Let us imagine that such a law came into effect in Quebec...

Beyond the concepts, let's face reality...

If in Quebec 40 000 people filled out an anticipated request multiplied by 100$ per request (on average). Isn't that a good way for certain notaries and lawyers to make a profit? And if the person changed their mind? How can we know with certainty that there was a consentment??