EU Rejects Abortion Fund But Backs Access to Safe Abortions

The Commission reasoned that supporting women facing unwanted pregnancies is the responsibility of national governments, citing limited EU competence in health policy. However, an existing EU fund for social projects is available, which member states can utilize to provide financial assistance to women from other countries or regions lacking access to safe abortion services. “We know that in many European countries, abortions are not safe, not accessible, and not free,” said Federica Vinci, a co-organizer of “My voice, my choice.” “We want to offer every woman the opportunity to access it.”

Abortion is legal in Austria and several other EU countries up to the twelfth week of pregnancy, but is effectively banned in Malta and Poland. Even in Italy, where abortion is theoretically permitted during the first three months, accessing a doctor willing to perform the procedure can be difficult in many regions. The World Health Organization estimates around 483,000 unsafe abortions occur in Europe annually.

This figure shocked Lahbib, who stated the clear goal must be to ensure women, regardless of their member state of origin, “can go anywhere in the European Union” to obtain a safe, doctor-performed abortion.

Despite the EU’s rejection of additional funding, the Austrian supporters of “My voice, my choice,” the NGO “aufstehn,” consider the initiative a success. “The fact that the Commission has made such a clear political commitment to access to safe abortion for all EU citizens is a milestone for women’s right to self-determination across Europe,” said Flora Bachmann, Senior Campaigner at the NGO. However, the lack of new funds is a “bitter pill to swallow.”

More than 20 million women across the EU lack access to safe abortion care, leading to “not only physical harm, but too significant economic and psychological burdens for them and their families,” according to the “My voice, my choice” website.