European Union: the European Parliament calls for a common fund to guarantee safe access to abortion

Translated by Martina Marino

The resolution approved by the European Parliament on the 17th December concerns access to safe and legal abortion, a topic that has long created divisions among the countries of the European Union. 

It is a non-binding resolution urging the European Commission to establish a mechanism that would allow “any person residing in the European Union who does not have access to safe and legal abortion” to travel, at affordable costs, to one of the twenty-seven Member States where the procedure is permitted.

The mechanism would therefore involve a fund designed to cover the costs of abortion procedures carried out abroad, helping women who are legally or de facto prevented from accessing abortion in their own countries, such as Malta and Poland, or where access is severely restricted, including Italy and Croatia.

This financial mechanism would create a system open to all Member States on a voluntary basis and would be supported by EU funds, with the ultimate aim of ensuring access to abortion services across Europe, always in compliance with national laws.

The European Commission’s final response is expected by March 2026. In the meantime, the EU executive will have time to outline the reasons behind its decision and the measures, both legislative and non-legislative, it intends to adopt.

The resolution stems from a European citizens’ initiative, a tool that allows EU citizens to directly address EU institutions regarding changes to EU legislation. It is driven in particular by the “My Voice, My Choice” movement, which, through the collection of 1,124,513 signatures across all 27 Member States, called for improved access to safe abortion, giving voice to the approximately 20 million women in Europe who currently do not have this right guaranteed. The movement calls for support for women forced to travel abroad and, above all, for the state to cover the costs of the procedure.

Another key element of the resolution is the Parliament’s request to include the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, a proposal first approved in April 2024.

The text was adopted by Parliament with 358 votes in favour, 202 against and 79 abstentions. Socialists, liberals and the left voted in favour, while the right and far right largely opposed it, supported by pro-life organizations. For example, the Italian NGO Pro Vita & Famiglia described the mechanism as an “abortion Erasmus,” condemning it as “an incentive that will push States to compete for EU funds by promoting the suppression of innocent lives.”

Although 15 European countries, from 2021 to today, have made significant progress by reforming their laws to make abortion more accessible and legal, access to abortion is still not guaranteed across all EU countries.

According to the 2025 Atlas of European Abortion Policies, several EU countries have adopted measures to ensure the right to safe abortion. These include France, which has enshrined it as a constitutional right; Luxembourg and the Netherlands, both of which have abolished mandatory waiting periods prior to the procedure, and Sweden. In addition, Denmark has extended the legal limit to 18 weeks and Lithuania has legalized medical abortion.

Of the 27 Member States, only 13 fully cover abortion through their national healthcare systems, and only five (Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Estonia) have fully decriminalized it.

At the same time, some EU countries maintain highly restrictive abortion laws, with severe penalties and very limited access to clinical care.

Poland and Malta rank at the bottom of the Atlas: in the former, abortion is permitted only in cases of sexual violence or serious risk to the woman’s health, while in the latter a total ban applies under all circumstances.

Italy and Slovakia also impose multiple restrictions, ranging from increased psychological pressure on those seeking abortion, to the widespread presence of conscientious objectors and extensive state-driven misinformation. For instance, in 2024 Italy passed a law allowing pro-life groups access to abortion clinics.

The European Parliament’s alignment with civil society highlights the EU’s fundamental role in supporting sexual and reproductive health and rights, which must be safeguarded through the reform of laws and policies in line with international human rights standards. The Parliament therefore calls on the Commission to take more decisive action to protect bodily autonomy and universal access to fundamental rights.

“Today we show the world—and above all our citizens—that the EU stands with women. The EU defends gender equality and is not afraid to uphold all human rights, including women’s rights,” said Swedish MEP Abir Al-Sahlani of the centrist Renew Europe group.

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