European Parliament endorses Slovenian-led initiative for safe abortion

SLOVENIA, December 19 - The resolution, which is not binding on the EU's executive, calls on the European Commission to establish a voluntary financial mechanism that would allow participating member states to support abortion care for women who cannot access it in their home country, including due to legal, financial, or practical barriers.

It points out that in many parts of Europe, women still do not have full access to abortion, which it says exposes them to the risk of physical harm and financial and psychological pressure. Countries where legal and practical barriers to safe and accessible abortion still exist are urged by to reform their abortion laws and policies in line with international human rights standards.

The resolution in support of the initiative was carried by 358 votes in favour, 202 votes against and 79 abstentions in a vote at the plenary session in Strasbourg on 17 December. It had earlier been endorsed twice by the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality.

"I can proudly say that we made history today and that little Slovenia is taking the fight forward," Nika Kovač, the coordinator of the initiative, said after the vote. "This is a victory for Slovenia and for what Slovenia is at its core," she added.

Commission to respond by early March

Led by the Slovenian NGO Institute 8 March, the initiative has collected more than 1.2 million signatures across the EU. The European Commission accepted it for consideration on 1 September and has until the beginning of March 2026 to say whether it will act on it or not.

Kovač pledged they would continue to put pressure on the Commission in January and February. "We're too close to the goal to lose this battle," she said. "For the first time, I'm all but certain that we can succeed and perhaps become the first initiative to change Europe," she added.

If the Commission follows up on the initiative, it will do so without affecting national competences in any way, Hadja Lahbib, the commissioner for equality, said at a 16 December discussion with members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

She pledged for the Commission to fully comply with the EU treaties in all respects. Under those, the issue of abortion is the responsibility of individual EU member states.

The commissioner pointed out that sexual and reproductive health is one of the fundamental rights of women and that support for such procedures in accordance with the treaties is something that binds all countries from the aspect of reproductive and sexual health.

She promised for the Commission to fully respect the principle of subsidiarity in its decision.

The rightist groups tabled four resolutions against the My Voice, My Choice initiative, but only one was voted on and it failed to pass.

That was tabled by MEPs from the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) and the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). It was signed on by more than 30 MEPs, including all five Slovenian members of the EPP. The resolution was defeated by 356 votes to 241 with 48 abstentions.

While those five Slovenian MEPs voted against the resolution in support of safe and accessible abortion care, the other four Slovenian members of the European Parliament, who come from centre-left parties, voted in favour.

Source: sloveniatimes.com