Belgium’s EU commissioner has welcomed news that EU funds will be able to be allocated for providing access to safe abortion care.
The European Commission has responded positively to the My Voice, My Choice European Citizens’ Initiative, confirming that EU funds can be used to improve access to safe abortion care across Europe, including support for travel where needed.
An EC spokesman said, “Having carefully analysed the initiative and with regard to the EU Treaties’ limitations to EU competence in the area of public health, the Commission underlines that Member States can rely on existing EU instruments to improve equal access to legally available and affordable healthcare services, including safe abortion services.”
This EU support can,added the spokesman, be provided through the (ESF+) programme.
Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, reacted by saying, “From now on we are granting member states the possibility to use EU funding, the European Social Fund, to improve access to abortion.
“This means support women who travel, support women in their own countries, support women in remote areas and support women without financial means. In practice, this would mean women will have better access to safe abortion care, any vulnerable women, anywhere in Europe. And this is groundbreaking.” said Lahbib.
Further comment came from Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness.
She said, “We have analysed the initiative and concluded that yes it is possible to use EU funds to support member states efforts for better access to safe and legal abortion care and therefore to reduce the number of unsafe abortions.”
ABIR AL-SAHLANI – Rapporteur on the My Voice, My Choice Resolution in the European Parliament (ReNew): “Today, the European Union is writing history. And that is thanks to you — to your activism, your hard work, the countless hours, the tears, the laughter, the nerves. It has been both a joy and, at times, a frightening ride to be part of this journey with you. It has been an enormous honor.”
The Commission concluded that the best way to achieve the objective of our initiative is through the ESF+ programme, which has €142 billion available in the current multiannual financial framework.
Campaigners say that although no new legal instrument is being created, the Commission has officially acknowledged that the fundamental goals of the My Voice, MY Choice initiative can be achieved and has identified a concrete path for its implementation in practice.
