The Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe, together with its Member the Cana Movement, have come out against some of the amendments being proposed to the Embryo Protection Act, backing a position paper that said the amendments 'undermine the dignity of embryos'.

The Federation backed the position paper published by the Church in Malta. "This Amendment would introduce a provision designed directly to prevent a human embryo from being born, because the embryo has a genetic disorder, making a mockery of what the principal Act originally intended to implement, i.e. embryo protection," the Federation said.

"This is clearly explained by the position paper, signed by 35 experts in clinical medicine, basic sciences, embryology, health sciences, law, psychology, social well‑being, social policy, family studies, disability studies, philosophy and theology. After considering all the ethical aspects and on the basis of medical and legal considerations, the position paper clarifies that a such bill is not acceptable. The signatories 'recognise and share the pain and anguish of those prospective parents who are unable to have children of their own or of couples burdened with the knowledge that they might be carriers of a genetic variant' and call for more support services for couples going through fertility treatment, education to end the stigma of infertility, smoothening of complex bureaucratic adoption procedures, better genetic counselling services and a culture that is more welcoming to persons with disabilities'."

"At the same time the position paper clearly explains how 'the Bill, in its current format, is facilitating selective eugenics and paving the way for the destruction of human life', as 'any process that leads to the destruction of embryos is ethically unacceptable as it results in the destruction of human life, while reiterating that society is responsible for safeguarding and protecting the most vulnerable, including the human embryo'," the federation said.

"The Bill will change the Embryo Protection Act in a way that is tantamount to eugenics and will go against the Maltese constitution and the most basic principles of human dignity, beyond any religious credo. The human embryo cannot be treated as an object and there is no individual right priming over the right to life. We therefore ask to the Maltese legislators and executive to reconsider their decisions and to stop this procedure."