Member States Can Use EU Funds To Support Access To Safe Abortion

The European Commission has said that member states may use existing EU funds to support access to safe abortion services, following a citizens’ initiative that gathered more than 1.1 million signatures.

The campaign, led by My Voice, My Choice, called for financial help for women who cannot obtain safe and legal terminations in their home countries. It is the twelfth successful response to a European Citizens' Initiative since its launch in 2012.

In its reply, the European Commission confirmed that governments can draw on the European Social Fund Plus to improve access to legally available and affordable healthcare, including abortion.

However, it stopped short of proposing a new funding mechanism. Health policy remains a national competence, meaning each country retains authority over how services are organised and delivered.

European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib cited World Health Organization estimates of nearly half a million unsafe abortions in Europe each year, warning that safety and freedom should not depend on income or postcode.

While abortion is legal in most EU countries, near total bans remain in Malta and Poland, and access varies regionally in Italy.

Campaign co ordinator Nika Kovač welcomed the decision as a concrete pathway forward, though anti abortion groups such as Ordo Iuris criticised the move. The Commission said existing instruments allow willing states to act swiftly without waiting for future budget negotiations.

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