Euthanasia and Palliative Care in the Low Countries

Belgium and the Netherlands - the Low Countries - are the first countries in the world to have legalized euthanasia. Physicians who terminate life at the patient’s request no longer have to fear criminal prosecution. However, end-of-life legislation in the Low Countries has provoked diverse responses and sparked vigorous and divisive ethical debate. For some, the new legislation has become a shining example; for others it is a lamentable materialization of a culture of death.«Euthanasia and P…