Friday, 27 February 2026
By Mose Apelblat
The European Commission gave a positive reply on Thursday to the initiative ‘My Voice, My Choice: For safe and accessible abortion’, which reached about 1.2 million verified signatures last year.
To be successful, a European Citizens' Initiative, which is the EU’s main instrument for participative democracy, must reach one million statements of support as well as minimum thresholds in at least seven Member States.
Countries may need to amend an existing fund to use it to support women who wish to travel to access abortion within the EU.
February 26, 2026
By Claudia Chiappa
BRUSSELS — The European Commission will not set up a new financing scheme to expand abortion access in Europe, rejecting a proposal backed by nearly 1.2 million European citizens.
The Commission, however, said countries could use an existing fund to help women pay for abortion services — something activists behind the campaign described as a “victory.” But first, some countries may need to amend programs covered by this fund.
Signed by 105 MEPs, the letter to Ursula von der Leyen calls for a European fund to ensure effective access to reproductive healthcare, a move one million European citizens have requested.
By Vincenzo Genovese
25/02/2026
One hundred and five members of the European Parliament sent a letter on Wednesday to the Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen, asking for a European-funded pathway that ensures real and effective access to abortions.
The letter aims to put pressure on the Commission, the day before the decision on the European Citizens’ Initiative “My Voice, My Choice”, which collected 1,124,513 signatures across all 27 countries and asked to improve access to safe abortion in Europe.
Commission faces 2 March deadline on ‘My Voice, My Choice’ initiative
Thomas Mangin, Euractiv
Feb 4, 2026
Pressure is mounting on the European Commission after 170 civil society organisations wrote to Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, urging her to follow up on the “My Voice My Choice” initiative, which aims to facilitate and safeguard access to abortion across the EU.
The signatories seek to push the European executive to establish a support fund for access to abortion, in line with the demands set out in the “My Voice, My Choice” initiative. The Commission must decide by 2 March whether it intends to give legal follow-up to this European Citizens’ Initiative, which gathered more than one million signatures in 2025.
By Léa Marchal
2 February 2026
Podcast – 5:26 mins with transcript
Abortion bans pushed Polish women to seek risky or costly alternatives. Now the EU faces a showdown: can a new solidarity fund guarantee safe access across borders, or will politics block women’s rights again?
EUobserver is proud to have an editorial partnership with Europod to co-publish the podcast series “Long Story Short” hosted by Léa Marchal. The podcast is available on all major platforms.
The vote could pave the way for funding thousands of European women who travel every year to another EU country to access abortion care.
December 17, 2025
By Claudia Chiappa
STRASBOURG — The European Parliament voted today in support of an EU fund to expand access to abortion for women across the bloc, in a historic ballot that divided lawmakers.
The plan would establish a voluntary, opt-in financial mechanism to help countries provide abortion care to women who can’t access it in their own country and who choose to travel to one with more liberal laws. European citizens presented the plan in an EU petition — through the campaign group “My Voice, My Choice.”
Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-votes-to-expand-abortion-access-in-historic-vote/
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.
Dec 1, 2025
European Commission
I would like to start by congratulating the organisers and supporters of this initiative. You have collected over one million valid statements of support across the EU and reached the minimum thresholds in 19 Member States. Well done.
You made ‘My Voice, My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion' the twelfth citizens' initiative submitted to the Commission for examination. While promoting your initiative, you also helped raise awareness of the European citizens' initiative itself, something we are also working to do.
Continued: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_25_2873
Friday 31 October 2025
By Mose Apelblat
The European Commission has started to process the European Citizens’ Initiative 'My Voice, My Choice' on ensuring safe and accessible abortion in all EU, a Commission spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
As previously reported, the team campaigning for the Initiative met the Belgian Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, responsible for Emergency Crisis Management and Equality, a month ago. The team brought letters from EU citizens urging the Commission to propose legislation on financial support to Member States in providing safe abortion care for anyone in Europe who still lacks access to it.
The European Commission will study a proposal to create a fund to help women access safe abortions when they cannot do so in their own countries due to restrictive laws, following a citizens’ campaign that gathered one million signatures across the EU.
By Paula Soler & Marta Iraola Iribarren
Oct 3, 2025
At 26 weeks pregnant, Mirela Čavajda found out her baby had a grave medical condition and would either be born with life-threatening conditions or most likely die before birth.
When Čavajda sought medical support in Zagreb, doctors at four different hospitals refused her request, some without explanation, while others said they could not confirm the diagnosis or did not have the necessary conditions to perform the procedure.
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