In 2004, after 25 years of debate, the Italian parliament approved a law on artificial reproduction. This law is the result of a compromise and allows artificial reproduction while prohibiting the freezing of embryos and their selection. However, some magistrates are now attempting to remove these limits.

The Italian law seeks to restrict the commercial interests that are integral to the centres involved in artificial reproduction. The objective of clinics that provide IVF treatment is to package the reproduction of human life through IVF as being no different to natural childbirth while they reap profits from the service.

In reality, as evidenced also by an authoritative German contemporary philosopher (J. Habermas, The Future of Human Nature, 2001), the use of such artificial reproductive techniques finally entails the reduction of a person to a thing and aviolation of the right to life of the conceived.

This is clearly the case, since the success of artificial reproduction treatment in fact requires that a large number of embryos be ‘created’ and then destroyed. The number will increase if legislation also allows for the freezing of human embryos as part of the treatment.

This is confirmed by what the ‘fathers’ of artificial reproduction themselves wrote (cfr R. Edwards, P. Steptoe, A Matter of Life, The Story of a Medical Breakthrough, New York, 1980).

Malta should set an important example to other European Union states and instead of legislating in favour of IVF, protect the right to life of the newly conceived.

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