The Italy Parliament passed landmark legislation on civil unions for same-sex couples, with the law signed on May 20, 2016, and coming into force on June 5, 2016. A decade later, on the tenth anniversary of its enforcement, the law faces growing calls for reform as advocates argue it no longer meets the needs of a changing society.
Why This Matters:
• Over 22,000 couples have formalized their relationships under the 2016 Civil Unions Law, with estimates exceeding 30,000 when including foreign marriages transcribed in Italy.
• Civil unions lack key rights granted to married couples, including adoption and access to medically assisted reproduction.
• Legislative proposals for equal marriage have stalled in committee since March 2024, despite public opinion shifting toward greater acceptance.
• An EU court ruling in November 2025 now requires Italy to recognize same-sex marriages contracted in other member states for the exercise of rights under European law.
What a Decade Has Changed—and What It Hasn't
When the Civil Unions Law came into force on June 5, 2016, it marked the first time Italy formally recognized relationships between same-sex partners. The legislation, championed by then-Senator Monica Cirinnà and pushed through with a confidence vote by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, was hailed as a breakthrough for a country where Catholic influence and conservative politics had long blocked progress on LGBTQ+ rights.
Yet the compromise that secured passage came at a steep price. To win enough votes, legislators stripped out provisions for stepchild adoption—the ability for one partner to adopt the other's biological child—and excluded same-sex couples from accessing medically assisted procreation. The law also omitted the obligation of fidelity present in traditional marriage and streamlined dissolution procedures, creating what critics now describe as a "separate but unequal" framework.
Franco Grillini, honorary president of Arcigay and Gaynet, described the law as "a revolution" that "changed the culture" around family structures in Italy. But he also acknowledged that the work is far from complete. "We need a serious reform of family law," he said in recent remarks.
The Numbers Behind the Shift
Data from ISTAT, Italy's national statistical institute, paint a picture of steady but limited uptake. In 2024, the country registered 2,936 new civil unions, a 2.7% decline from the previous year. Provisional figures for the first nine months of 2025 show a further drop of 3.1% compared to the same period in 2024.
Men account for 54.8% of civil unions, and the institution remains concentrated in urban centers. Rome recorded 7.1% of unions in 2024, followed by Milan at 6.1%. Regionally, Lombardy leads with 21.3%, trailed by Lazio at 13.2% and Emilia-Romagna at 9.5%. Roughly 18.1% of unions involved at least one foreign partner, and most ceremonies take place between April and October, peaking in June and September.
These figures suggest that while the law has provided a legal framework for thousands of couples, its limitations may be discouraging others from formalizing their relationships—or pushing them to marry abroad instead.
What This Means for Residents
For foreigners living in Italy or Italians in same-sex relationships, the current legal landscape presents both opportunities and frustrations. Civil unions grant many of the economic and administrative rights associated with marriage, including inheritance, pension benefits, hospital visitation, and joint tax filing. But the absence of parental recognition remains a critical gap.
Stepchild adoption, while not explicitly authorized by the 2016 law, has been recognized by Italian courts on a case-by-case basis. Judges have ruled that the non-biological parent can adopt their partner's child if it serves the child's best interest and the family unit is stable. However, this patchwork approach creates uncertainty and forces families to navigate lengthy legal proceedings.
Access to medically assisted reproduction remains off-limits for lesbian couples and single women under Law 40/2004, though the Constitutional Court is expected to issue a ruling in late 2025 or early 2026 that could overturn this prohibition. For gay male couples, surrogacy is banned in Italy, and children born via surrogacy abroad face obstacles to legal recognition for the non-biological father.
The European Court of Justice ruling in November 2025 adds another layer of complexity. Italy must now recognize same-sex marriages performed in other EU countries for the purpose of exercising rights under European law—such as residency permits for non-EU spouses. This creates a legal patchwork where foreign marriages are partially recognized, but domestic couples remain relegated to civil unions.
The Push for Equal Marriage
Alessandro Zan, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party (PD), has co-sponsored a comprehensive bill calling for equal marriage, full adoption rights for same-sex couples and single individuals, and access to medically assisted reproduction. The proposal, also signed by PD Secretary Elly Schlein, was presented to the Senate on February 29, 2024, and assigned to the Justice Commission on March 26. Since then, it has languished without meaningful progress.
The current Italian government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, has shown little appetite for expanding LGBTQ+ rights. Schlein has criticized the administration for Italy's declining position in European rankings on LGBTQ+ rights, and advocates warn that the country risks falling further behind as neighboring nations continue to advance.
In March 2026, the Minors' Court in Venice referred a case to the Constitutional Court challenging the constitutionality of Article 29 bis of the adoption law, which bars civil union partners from pursuing international adoption. The outcome could reshape the landscape for same-sex families seeking to grow through adoption.
How Italy Compares to the Rest of Europe
Twenty-two European countries have legalized equal marriage as of January 2025, with Greece and Liechtenstein among the most recent additions. The Netherlands pioneered the shift in 2001, followed by Belgium, Spain, and others across Western and Northern Europe. Even traditionally Catholic nations like Spain (2005) and Portugal have embraced full marriage equality, alongside robust adoption rights.
In those countries, the transition from civil unions to equal marriage has delivered tangible benefits. Same-sex couples gain automatic parental recognition for children born within the relationship, streamlined adoption procedures, and the social legitimacy that comes with an institution universally understood and respected. Research also suggests that legal recognition contributes to improved mental and physical health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals, reducing stigma and affirming their place in society.
Italy's reliance on civil unions places it in a shrinking minority within Western Europe. The reluctance to take the final step toward equal marriage reflects the enduring influence of conservative and religious forces, but public opinion is shifting. A 2023 Eurispes survey found that 51.4% of Italians support joint adoption by same-sex couples, signaling a generational change in attitudes.
Legal Battles and Incremental Progress
While national legislation remains stalled, Italian courts have carved out incremental gains. The Constitutional Court and lower tribunals have repeatedly upheld the principle that a child's best interest supersedes concerns about parental gender or sexual orientation. These rulings have enabled hundreds of stepchild adoptions and forced authorities to transcribe foreign birth certificates listing two mothers.
At the European level, Italy faces mounting pressure. Recent directives advanced by the European Parliament strengthen protections against hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity—provisions that echo the stalled Zan Law, which the Italian Senate blocked in October 2021 after it passed the Chamber of Deputies in November 2020.
The interplay between domestic resistance and European momentum creates a dynamic where Italian residents may find their rights expanded through court decisions and EU mandates, even as legislative action remains elusive.
What Comes Next
For advocates, the tenth anniversary of the Civil Unions Law is a moment to reflect on progress—but also to demand more. Cirinnà herself has called the law "the first step toward equality," acknowledging its role in making thousands of families visible while insisting that full equality remains unfinished business.
The Democratic Party and civil society organizations are using the milestone to renew pressure for equal marriage and comprehensive family law reform. Whether the current political climate will allow such measures to advance is uncertain, but the combination of shifting public opinion, judicial activism, and European integration suggests that change—however incremental—is likely to continue.
For same-sex couples living in Italy, the message is mixed. The legal framework has improved dramatically over the past decade, offering protections and recognition that were unthinkable a generation ago. Yet the gap between civil unions and marriage remains a source of frustration and inequality, particularly for families with children. As other European nations move forward, the question is whether Italy will close that gap—or whether families will continue to rely on courts, foreign jurisdictions, and patchwork solutions to secure their rights.
