Legislation on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID): Preliminary Consideration on the First Regional Law in Italy.

Abstract

Medical assistance in dying (MAID) remains a sensitive and evolving issue in Europe, frequently linked with discussions about human freedom, life dignity, and healthcare policy. While national consensus in Italy is absent, the Region of Tuscany has enacted Law No. 16/2025, which establishes a MAID procedure based on recent Constitutional Court rulings. The commentary aims to provide a preliminary analysis of the new law, addressing ethical, medico-legal, and social issues that emerge in relation to the Italian and global debate on the topic. The law establishes a three-stage process based on four eligibility criteria: irreversible disease, psycho-physical suffering, life-support dependence, and informed consent. However, Tuscany's model poses medico-legal and ethical concerns, particularly about the boundaries of regional legislative competence, the duties of healthcare professionals, and the possibility of intra-national inequity or "health migration." In addition, critical organisational implications derived from informed consent and lethal drug self-administration impede clinical implementation in some individuals with mental or neurological disorders. The lack of clarity in the different steps of the procedure, the uncertain supervision system, and the potential consequences for specific categories of vulnerable people underline the need for comprehensive national regulation. A future regulatory framework must balance procedural clarity with individual autonomy and equitable access, bringing Italy in line with larger European context for end-of-life care.