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法国医学道德委员会近日通过一项规定，称病人“在神志清醒的情况下坚决、反复要求”结束生命时，应允许对其施行辅助自杀。由此，法国在安乐死合法化进程中又迈进了一步。该委员会恳请对那些毫无治愈希望的病人施行人道主义责任，允许他们在医生协助下结束生命。不过，是否对病人施行辅助自杀需由一个医学小组集体决定。此前，法国总统奥朗德曾要求该委员会就何种情况下可批准进行辅助自杀进行详细调查，并有意在6月份将安乐死合法化草案提上议事日程。法国在2005年曾通过一项法律，允许医生对病人使用一定量的止痛药物，在止痛的同时也能缩短病人的生命。 France's medical ethics council moved a step closer to legalizing euthanasia by ruling that assisted suicide should exceptionally be allowed when ailing patients make "persistent, lucid and repeated requests" to end their life. Using the term "assisted death" rather than euthanasia, the council invoked a "duty to humanity" to allow a patient "suffering from an ailment for which the treatment has become ineffective" to die. A medical team, not a sole doctor, would take the decision. The council's conclusions came after President François Hollande asked it to examine the precise circumstances under which such steps could be authorized, with a view to tabling draft legislation by June. | 
