France's National Assembly on Monday opened debate on draft legislation paving the way for assisted suicide for terminally patients.
French President Emmanuel Macron had recently indicated there was scope for legislative reform on the issue.
According to the draft legislation, adults with a life-threatening illness who are capable of taking decisions over the medium term and whose pain cannot be alleviated will be allowed to request euthanasia.
They are then to receive a response to their request following a delay of at most two weeks. Where possible, the patients will be required to administer the fatal doses themselves.
The issue is controversial in France. Administering fatal medication to another person is currently illegal, but passive assisted dying, by for example switching off life-support equipment or administering strong painkillers that accelerate death as a side-effect, is permissible.
Over the next two weeks, MPs will debate more than 3,000 amendments. The bill must then also be submitted to the Senate. The bill is not expected to be finally passed for at least a year.
This was preceded by a long process with citizen participation. A citizens' convention had voted by a majority in favour of paving the way for active euthanasia.
France's Ethics Council also declared the ethical application of active euthanasia to be conceivable under certain strict conditions.
