ROME, March 22 (Reuters) – Italy’s ruling conservative majority wants to prosecute couples who go abroad to have a baby via surrogacy, according to a law that has drawn fire from critics who view it as mainly targeting gay couples. The bill, which parliament will start debating on Thursday is part of the socially conservative agenda of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a self-declared enemy of what she calls “gender ideology” and “the LGBT lobby”. Parenting via surrogacy is already illegal in Italy, punishable with jail terms ranging from three months to two years and fines from 600,000 euros to 1 million euros ($1.08 million). The law in question, sponsored by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) and the League, another ruling party, would make it a crime to resort to the procedure even in countries where it is legal – such as the United States or Canada. Alessia Crocini, head of Famiglie Arcobaleno (Rainbow Families), an association that represents same-sex parents, said on Wednesday that the reform would be “extremely difficult” to apply in practice.