On the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘My Voice, My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion’

B100564/2025

European Parliament resolution on the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘My Voice, My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion’

(2025/3007(RSP))

The European Parliament,

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

–having regard to Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and paragraph 1 thereof on the principle of subsidiarity,

–having regard to Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) concerning public health and, in particular, paragraph 7 thereof, which states that ‘Union action shall respect the responsibilities of the Member States for the definition of their health policy and for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care’,

–having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

–having regard to the Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo between 5 and 13 September 1994,

–having regard to the judgment of the Court of Justice in case C-159/90,

–having regard to its resolution of 10 December 2013 on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights,

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

A.whereas the formulation and implementation of policies on abortion fall within the exclusive competence of the Member States, in accordance with Articles 5 TEU and 168(7) TFEU;

B.whereas safe and legal abortion is not included in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;

C.whereas Article 168 TFEU provides the European Union with the possibility of supporting national health policies, but not of circumventing them;

D.whereas the resolution of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality was drafted and voted on before the hearing of representatives of the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ European citizen’s initiative (ECI), and then voted on again after that hearing, without involving all the committees that participated in the hearing;

E.whereas the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI estimates that 20 million women do not have access to abortion within the European Union; whereas this figure is based on the number of women from countries with restrictive abortion laws;

F.whereas the main argument put forward by the promoters of the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI is that it saves the lives of women who resort to clandestine abortions;

1.Notes that the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI calls for the establishment of a European funding mechanism for abortion-related services, which would touch upon areas reserved to the competence of the Member States and therefore raises subsidiarity concerns;

2.Recalls that policies relating to abortion and to sexual and reproductive health, as well as the organisation and delivery of related medical services, fall under the exclusive responsibility of the Member States, pursuant to Article 168(7) TFEU;

3.Underlines that, given the clear division of competences and the current legal framework that enables each Member State to regulate these matters according to its own policies, there is no need for new action or legislative proposals at EU level;

4.Considers that, in Decision (EU) 2024/1158, the Commission misinterpreted Article 168 TFEU by concluding that the proposed financial support mechanism does not affect the definition or organisation of Member States’ health policies;

5.Deplores the fact that the committees involved in the hearing of the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ ECI were unable to take part in the legislative process;

6.Calls for any further legislative proposal or action to be preceded by a serious and independent impact assessment, which should include the legal compatibility of such a programme with national laws, the estimation of the overall cost, the consequential trends in demographics, the number of women who wish to have access to abortion and do not, and the number of women who have died or been seriously injured as a result of unsafe abortion procedures;

7.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.