The Netherlands is setting up a commission to regulate the practice of ending the lives of "seriously suffering" newborn babies, the government said today.
Euthanasia of newborns and late abortions remain illegal, but the commission - composed of three doctors, a lawyer and a ethicist - is likely to recommend that doctors who follow certain rules are not charged in concrete cases.
Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner and Junior Health Minister Clemence Ross-van Dorp said they hoped the commission, expected to start work in mid-2006, would improve the transparency of decision making.
"We wanted to respond to the needs of doctors to create clarity in how to deal with ending the life of seriously suffering newborns as well as the legal consequences of late abortions," the ministers wrote in a letter to parliament.
"The conventions, as well as the opinion of the commission, offer doctors the knowledge that cases will not just be seen from a legal perspective but also from a medical and ethical perspective . . . the uncertainty of doctors is being addressed."
In 2001, The Netherlands became the first country to legalise adult euthanasia, a move condemned by the Roman Catholic Church; it has since been followed by Belgium, while other European states are investigating allowing it.