European citizens are one step closer to safe and legal abortion access following the first vote on new EU legislation today, a Fine Gael MEP has said.
MEP Maria Walsh is a full member of the European Parliament’s Gender Equality Committee, which voted to pass an initiative from My Voice My Choice which aims to provide safe abortions for all Europeans, with the support of EU funding. The vote was passed by 26 votes in favour, and 12 votes against.
My Voice My Choice is the citizens movement for safe and accessible abortion in Europe, bringing together more than 300 organizations from across the EU. They have received 1.2 million signatures from EU citizens supporting their initiative, mandating the European Commission to take action and propose new legislation on abortion care.
Maria Walsh MEP said:
“At the moment, there are no EU-wide laws governing access to safe and legal abortion – but today’s vote means we are now on the path to establishing this right for European women. Given this initiative has passed in the Gender Equality Committee, it will now progress to a Parliament voting session where it will be voted on by all 720 MEPs.
“Women have abortions. Our mothers, daughters, sisters, nieces and friends have abortions. They have done for generations in the past, and will continue to for generations into the future. What I am aiming to do is to ensure that where abortions are happening, women are safe and receive the highest possible quality of medical care. This can and should happen with EU funding and support.
“Reproductive rights can be a fraught issue within the European Parliament. However, if enacted, it will be voluntary for Member States to join this policy – it will not interfere with existing national laws. The ultimate aim here is to provide European funding to reduce the number of unsafe abortions that happen in the EU.
“While the initiative calls on the Commission to introduce new EU legislation on safe abortion care, it also calls on the EU to introduce a financial mechanism that will support countries to provide safe termination of pregnancies.
“It also aims to coordinate cross-border abortion care. Under this initiative, if the country you live in doesn’t allow for safe abortion, it could allow you to travel to another EU state where you will be provided with such care.
“1.2 million EU citizens back this initiative. Given the scale of support, the European Commission is now bound to listen to our collective voice. They must clearly outline what actions they will take in response to this momentum and the legislation they intend to create based on the proposal from My Voice My Choice.”