Finnish parliament axes civic initiative calling for legal euthanasia

HELSINKI, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Finnish parliament on Friday unanimously rejected a civic initiative that would have legalized euthanasia as an action by the medical personnel, upon the request of a terminally ill person.

After a vote, the parliament assigned the cabinet to set up an expert task force to "review the care given at the end of life" and to include euthanasia in the review.

The civic initiative was launched by nationally known former parliamentarians. The parliament must process all civic initiatives that get over 50,000 signatories, but can dismiss them.

Active euthanasia is legal in Europe only in Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg.

Assisted suicide is allowed in some EU countries and a larger number, including Finland, allow passive euthanasia in the form of ceasing treatments that do not help and offering palliative care only. Enditem