A new legislative provision announced by Minister of Justice Giorgos Floridis prohibits homosexual men and single men from having children through surrogacy.
The amendment, included in an omnibus bill from the Ministry of Justice, modifies the relevant section of the Civil Code governing family law to prevent male same-sex couples from becoming parents via surrogate motherhood.
According to the ministry’s statement, significant changes are being introduced concerning medically assisted reproduction involving the transfer of eggs into another woman’s body. Specifically, it clarifies that an inability to carry a pregnancy due to gender does not constitute medical infertility. Additionally, judicial approval for surrogacy will only take effect once the relevant court ruling becomes final and irrevocable.
Although Greek law does not allow same-sex couples to have children through surrogacy, courts have previously issued rulings that contradicted this restriction. The amendment also aims to curb human trafficking related to surrogacy, which has reportedly escalated. Foreign women have been coming to Greece, declaring themselves as single residents, and using surrogacy to have children for third parties in exchange for high fees beyond the legally permitted compensation.
Minister Floridis defended the legislative clarification as having a deeply humanitarian character, emphasizing that Greece risks becoming a hub for surrogacy-related trafficking under the previous legal interpretation.
