What changed

B100558/2025

P10_TA(2025)0338

European Parliament resolution on the European citizens’ initiativeCitizens’ entitledInitiative ‘My Voice,voice, Mymy Choice:choice: Forfor Safesafe and Accessibleaccessible Abortion’abortion’

(2025/3007(RSP))

PE781.257

European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2025 on the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘My Voice, My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion’ (2025/3007(RSP))

– having regard to the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘My Voice My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion’ (ECI(2024)000004),

-– having regard to Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1158 of 10 April 2024 on the request for registration, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of the European citizens’ initiative entitled My Voice, My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion,

-– having regard to Article 9, Article 19, Article 24, first paragraph, and Article 168(5) and(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

-– having regard to Articles 2, 3 and 11(4) of the Treaty on European Union,

-– having regard to Articles 1, 3, 4 and 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

-– having regard to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 1979,

-– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

-– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950,

-– having regard to Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995,

-– having regard to its resolution of 26 November 2020 on the de facto ban on the right to abortion in Poland,

-– having regard to its resolution of 24 June 2021 on the situation of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU, in the frame of women’s health,

-– having regard to its resolution of 11 November 2021 on the first anniversary of the de facto abortion ban in Poland,

-– having regard to its resolution of 5 May 2022 on the impact of the war against Ukraine on women,

-– having regard to its resolution of 9 June 2022 on global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturning of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court,

-– having regard to its resolution of 7 July 2022 on the US Supreme Court decision to overturn abortion rights in the United States and the need to safeguard abortion rights and women’s health in the EU,

-– having regard to its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties,

-– having regard to its resolution of 28 February 2024 entitled ‘Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law report’,

-– having regard to its resolution of 11 April 2024 on including the right to abortion in the EU Fundamental Rights Charter,

-– having regard to the 2015 WHO guidelines entitled ‘Safe abortion: technical and policy guidance for health systems’,

-– having regard to the WHO 2017-2021 strategy on women’s health and well-being in the WHO European region and the associated report entitled ‘Women’s health and well-being in Europe: beyond the mortality advantage’, both published on 30 September 2016;2016,

-– having regard to the WHO action plan entitled ‘Action plan for sexual and reproductive health: towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Europe – leaving no one behind’, published on 12 September 2016,

-– having regard to the WHO abortion care guideline, published on 8 March 2022, and to the second edition thereof, published on 24 August 2025,

-– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2020 entitled ‘A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025’ (COM(2020)0152),

-– having regard to the Commission communication of 12 November 2020 entitled ‘Union of Equality: LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025’ (COM(2020)0698),

-– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 October 2025 entitled ‘Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030’ (COM(2025)0725),

-– having regard to the 2025 EU Roadmap for Women’s Rights (COM(2025)0097) and the annex thereto,

-– having regard to Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare,

-– having regard to the relevant case-law of the European Court of Human Rights concerning access to reproductive healthcare services, including its judgment of 16 December 2010 in A, B and C v Ireland (Application noNo 25579/05), its judgment of 30 October 2012 in P. and S. v Poland (Application noNo 57375/08) and its judgment of 25 July 2017 in Carvalho Pinto de Sousa Morais v Portugal (Application noNo 17484/15),

-– having regard to the Center for Reproductive Rights’ report of 23 September 2025 entitled ‘Europe abortion laws 2025 – policies, progress and challenges’,

-– having regard to the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights document entitled ‘Contraception Policy Atlas Europe 2025’, published on 14 February 2025,

– having regard to Rule 228(8) of its Rules of Procedure,

J. whereas many EU Member States have taken meaningful legislative steps to advance access to abortion by removing harmful procedural and regulatory barriers and abolishing criminal penalties; whereas, however, two Member States still do not allow abortion on request, eight Member States maintain a mandatory waiting period and several Member States either do not reimburse or subsidise abortion care or only offer limited coverage; whereas 11 countries in Europe do not provide medication abortion (i.e. non-surgical abortion) and only five allow abortion care via telemedicine; whereas the time limits for abortion on request vary significantly within Europe, ranging from 10 weeks to 24 weeks;

K. whereas some Member States still maintain regressive barriers to abortion access, including mandatory counselling, an option for medical professionals to refuse to provide abortion care, mandatory ultrasounds, a lack of financial coverage, mandatory third-party authorisations, restrictions on reasons for abortion care and restrictions on abortion methods ;methods; whereas some Member States have even introduced such barriers recently;

L. whereas data show that most abortions occur in the first trimester and that the majority of women who have abortions already have children, are married or are in long-term relationships, or were using contraception at the time;

N. whereas many women are forced to travel across borders to access abortion care in another EU country, often facing financial, logistical and psychological barriers, despite the existence of EU rules on cross-border healthcare;

O. whereas according to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, ‘the Union shall take into account requirements linked to the…the … protection of human health’ (Article 9) and ‘may also adopt incentive measures designed to protect and improve human health’ (Article 168);

P. whereas all women and girls should receive the same access to healthcare services wherever they reside, without discrimination; whereas marginalised people, including people belonging to racial, ethnic and religious minorities, migrants, people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, persons living in rural areas, persons with disabilities, LGBTQI+ individuals, and victims of violence, often face additional barriers, intersectional discrimination and violence in accessing healthcare;

Q. whereas discrepancies in abortion care in Europe are a reality; whereas the healthcare systems of some Member States already need to absorb abortion patients from other Member States because of the restrictions that exist there, so this ECI proposes financially compensating those Member States;

Q. whereas only biological women can get pregnant and bear children;

R. whereas some women are unable to travel to access abortion care because of financial constraints;

R. whereas discrepancies in abortion care in Europe are a reality; whereas the healthcare systems of some Member States already need to absorb abortion patients from other Member States because of the restrictions that exist there, so this ECI proposes financially compensating those Member States;

S. whereas currentsome EUwomen legislationare isunable notto adequatetravel to respondaccess toabortion thecare challengesbecause of cross-border abortionfinancial care;constraints;

1. Welcomes the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI, which received 1.2 million signatures and was officially recognised by the Commission on 1 September 2025, and underlines that the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI has created an unprecedented movement across Europe, bringing together diverse citizens, especially young people;

T. whereas current EU legislation is not adequate to respond to the challenges of cross-border abortion care;

2. Calls on the Commission, in line with the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI proposal, to set up an opt-in mechanism that is open to Member States on a voluntary basis, with EU financial support to ensure solidarity, without interfering with nationals laws and regulations; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal to provide Member States with financial support to enable them to provide safe termination of pregnancies, in accordance with their domestic law, for anyone in the EU who still lacks access to safe and legal abortion;

1. Welcomes the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI, which received 1,2 million signatures and was officially recognised by the Commission on 1 September 2025, and underlines that the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI has created an unprecedented movement across Europe, bringing together diverse citizens, especially young people;

2. Calls on the Commission, in line with the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI proposal, to set up an opt-in mechanism that is open to Member States on a voluntary basis, with EU financial support to ensure solidarity, without interfering with national laws and regulations; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal to provide Member States with financial support to enable them to provide safe termination of pregnancies, in accordance with their domestic law, for anyone in the EU who still lacks access to safe and legal abortion;

3. Emphasises that the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI is a direct call from EU citizens and aims to create a safer and more equal EU that provides the same level of healthcare service for everyone in Europe, and an EU that offers people a chance for freer, safer and better lives regardless of where they live and the conditions they may find themselves in; notes that the proposed programme aims to serve a broad group of patients across a wide spectrum of abortion-related services;