On February 13, 2014, Belgium’s Parliament approved
an amendment of the 2002 Belgium Act on Euthanasia
to allow euthanasia for chronically ill children. The
amendment, supportedby a majorityof Belgiansandrecently
signed into law by King Philippe, permits euthanasia
for children who are experiencing “constant and
unbearable suffering.” Inaddition to requiring the child’s
own voluntary and explicit request for euthanasia, the
new law requires parental consent, excludes children
with an intellectual disability or mental illness, and mandates
a multidisciplinary team carefully examine the
child’s capacity for discernment.1