European Citizens’ Initiative on abortion rights reaches milestone after hearing

Thursday 4 December 2025
By The Brussels Times Newsroom

The European Parliament hosted on Tuesday a hearing on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “My Voice, My Choice” on safe and accessible abortion for all women in the EU.

At the heart of the initiative is a concrete proposal which respects that health is a national competency: A European financial mechanism that supports EU Member States in providing access to safe abortion care free of charge to women without access in their own country and does not interfere with national legislations.

Continued:; https://www.brusselstimes.com/1867634/pro-choice-european-citizens-initiative-holds-hearing-in-the-european-parliament

A stock of U.S.-bought birth control, meant for sub-Saharan Africa, goes bad in Belgium

NPR, By Rachel Treisman
Published November 15, 2025

There's a new twist in the saga of the U.S.-purchased contraceptives intended for sub-Saharan Africa and stuck in Belgium since the Trump administration scaled back foreign aid earlier this year.

This week, questions were raised about whether the stockpile, originally valued at $9.7 million, might be bigger than previously thought. And an official on the ground said some of those products have gone bad.

Authorities in the Flanders region of Belgium confirmed that in addition to the four truckloads' worth of unexpired birth control sitting in a warehouse in the city of Geel, another 20 truckloads of supplies ended up in the village of Kallo but were stored improperly and are therefore unusable — at least as contraceptives.

Continued; https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/npr-national-news/2025-11-15/a-stock-of-u-s-bought-birth-control-meant-for-sub-saharan-africa-goes-bad-in-belgium

The U.S. said it would burn $9.7 million of birth control. Its fate is still unclear

September 16, 2025
By Rachel Treisman

For months, $9.7 million worth of birth control meant for women in low-income countries has sat stranded in a Belgian warehouse — apparently destined for destruction — as a result of the Trump administration's freeze on foreign aid.

…Humanitarians' hopes were seemingly dashed last week, when the New York Times, citing a statement from USAID, reported that the contraceptives had been destroyed. But the next day, it later reported, Belgian authorities entered the warehouse and confirmed the contraceptives were still there.

Continued: https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/09/16/nx-s1-5511304/birth-control-foreign-aid-destruction-belgium-warehouse

Nearly 20,000 abortions performed in Belgium in 2023

Monday 7 April 2025
By The Brussels Times with Belga

More than 19,600 abortions were carried out in Belgium in 2023, La Libre reported on Monday.

The figure comes from a biannual report (2022-2023) conducted by 'The National Commission for the Evaluation of the Law on the Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy'.

The number of abortions in the past two years has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Approximately 18,000 procedures were recorded in 2018 and 2019, before falling to just over 16,500 in 2020 and 2021. The number then rose again, reaching 18,574 in 2022 and 19,686 in 2023.

Continued: https://www.brusselstimes.com/health-news/1524032/nearly-20000-abortions-performed-in-belgium-in-2023

07.04.2025

News

abortion numbers in Belgium

National Commission for the Evaluation of the Law on the Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy

Belgium

Europe

Belgium PM summons Vatican envoy over pope’s abortion remarks

While the pope’s position on abortion is not surprising and he has used the same exact words before, his remarks come at a sensitive time for Belgium.

October 3, 2024
By Ketrin Jochecová

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo summoned the Vatican’s ambassador to Belgium, Franco Coppola, on Thursday after “unacceptable” comments by Pope Frances on abortion.

Earlier that day, the Free University of Brussels (VUB) had urged the Belgian government to call the Vatican to account over statements by the pope comparing doctors who perform abortions to hitmen.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/pope-abortion-murder-remark-brussels-university-vatican-envoy-belgium/

03.10.2024

Free University of Brussels

Pope’s calls doctors who perform abortions ‘hitmen,’ sparking online furore

It was the second time in as many weeks that Francis has been asked about his views on abortion, which remains a hotly-contested issue for the Catholic Church

By Euronews with AP
Published on 30/09/2024

Pope Francis wrapped up a troubled visit to Belgium on Sunday by doubling down on his traditional views on abortion, calling the abortion law “homicidal”.

“Doctors who do this are — allow me the word — hitmen. They are hitmen," Francis said. “And on this you cannot argue. You are killing a human life.”

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/09/30/popes-calls-doctors-who-perform-abortions-hitmen-sparking-online-furore

30.09.2024

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anti-choice hatred

anti-choice ignorance

Belgium to extend voluntary abortion from 12 to 18 weeks

Thursday 18 July 2024
By The Brussels Times with Belga

The Belgian Parliament passed an emergency set of abortion-related legislative propositions on Thursday.

Last year, an expert group advocated for extending the legal limit for voluntary termination of pregnancy from 12 to 18 weeks post-conception, and eliminating the mandatory consideration period.

Efforts to amend the 1990 law are due to several reasons, including the hundreds of women choosing to abort in the Netherlands annually where legislation is more liberal.

Continued: https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/1145664/voluntary-abortion-to-be-extended-in-belgium-from-12-to-18-weeks

18.07.2024

‘No progress has been made’: Petition to decriminalise abortion in Belgium launched

Thursday 4 July 2024
By Ciara Carolan

Amnesty International has launched a petition to decriminalise abortion in Belgium. The launch coincides with the first parliamentary session to take place since elections on 9 June.

In Belgium, abortion is accessible up to 12 weeks after conception, and longer if there is a threat to the mother's health. Before an abortion is authorised, the pregnant individual must be informed about adoption and other alternatives as well as "reflecting" on their decision for six days after the initial appointment. Violations of these measures are sanctioned, and medical professionals may conscientiously object to performing an abortion.

Continued: https://www.brusselstimes.com/health/1125032/no-progress-has-been-made-petition-to-decriminalise-abortion-in-belgium-launched

04.07.2024

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abortion law reform

Amnesty International

decriminalisation of abortion

Eva Platteau

Julie Capoulade

petition to legalize abortion

six-day reflection period

Belgian Green MPs table abortion reform proposal

By Nina Chabot | EURACTIV.com
Sep 28, 2023

A bill to reform Belgium’s abortion laws, particularly by extending the legal period for abortion and decriminalising it, was tabled by two Ecolo-Green (EELV) MPs on Thursday.

Séverine de Laveleye (Ecolo, EELV) and Eva Platteau (Groen, EELV) presented this project on the occasion of the International Day for Free and Safe Abortion on Thursday.

In their tabled bill, the two MPs seek to extend the period in which abortion can be performed from 12 to 18 weeks and to abolish the six-day waiting period before an abortion can be performed.

Continued: https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/belgian-green-mps-table-abortion-reform-proposal/

29.09.2023

News

abortion law reform

Eva Platteau

Fédération Laïque de Centres de Planning Familial

International Safe Abortion Day

Médecins du Monde Belgium

Today in History: Arrest of Dr Willy Peers for performing 200 abortions

Sunday, 15 January 2023

On this day, in 1973, Doctor Willy Peers was arrested and prosecuted for performing over 200 abortions in Namur. The ensuing public outrage marked the beginning of a historic societal shift in favour of abortion in the country.

In 1973, Belgium was one of the last countries in Europe where voluntary interruption of pregnancy was still prohibited by law, due to the influence of the Catholic Church.

Continued: https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/352913/today-in-history-arrest-of-dr-willy-peers-for-performing-200-abortions

15.01.2023