EU Opens Funds for Safe Abortion Access But Long-term Financing Remains Uncertain

March 8, 2026
Felix Sassmannshausen

In a landmark decision, the European Commission is allowing member states to utilize existing EU funds to finance access to safe abortions. This move represents a significant shift in European reproductive health, although it stops short of providing financial certainty for women seeking essential reproductive healthcare.

“Behind every unsafe abortion is a woman forced to risk her life because she has no safe alternative, no support, and no protection,” stated European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib following the decision last week.

Continued: https://healthpolicy-watch.news/eu-funds-for-safe-abortions/

08.03.2026

News

European Citizens’ Initiative

European Commission

European People’s Party

Obama Leader and Scholar advances reproductive rights in Europe

Nika Kovač's "My Voice, My Choice" pushed the EU to advance reproductive rights, expanding access to safe abortion for millions.

March 6, 2026

Nika Kovač was sitting in a university classroom in New York City as an Obama Scholar when the US Supreme Court decision leaked in the press in May 2022: American women would lose the right to an abortion nationally, and it would be up to each state to legislate access.

“It was the first time that I saw very practically how something that is taken for granted can be taken away in a moment,” said Kovač, a reproductive rights advocate from Slovenia.

Continued: https://www.obama.org/stories/obama-leader-and-scholar-advances-reproductive-rights-in-europe

Women across EU celebrate approval of European Citizens Initiative on abortion rights

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.

Continued: https://www.brusselstimes.com/1993475/european-women-celebrate-approval-of-european-citizens-initiative-on-abortion-rights

27.02.2026

News

abortion funding

European Citizens’ Initiative

European Commission

European Social Fund

Hadja Lahbib

My Voice My Choice campaign

Civic mobilisation for EU abortion initiative puts pressure on Commission

A European Citizens’ Initiative calling for EU action on abortion access will test the Commission's political radar

Xhoi Zajmi, Euractiv's Advocacy Lab
Jan 26, 2026

A European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calling for safe and accessible abortion across the EU has secured strong backing from civil society, the Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), increasing pressure on the Commission as it prepares its formal response by early March.

At a recent debate at the EESC, organisers of the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ initiative presented the campaign as a response to widening disparities in women’s reproductive rights across the bloc, amid political backlash and uneven national access to care.

Continued: https://www.euractiv.com/news/civic-mobilisation-for-eu-abortion-initiative-puts-pressure-on-commission/

27.01.2026

News

Abir Al-Sahlani

European Citizens’ Initiative

European Commission

European Women’s Lobby

Irena Moozová

José Antonio Moreno Díaz

Mary Collins

Michel Chassang

My Voice My Choice campaign

Europe votes to expand abortion access in historic ballot

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/

17.12.2025

Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus

My Voice My Choice campaign

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

European Commission to consider fund for EU-wide access to abortion

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.

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/10/03/european-commission-to-consider-fund-for-eu-wide-access-to-abortion

03.10.2025

News

Andrea Prudente

conscientious objectors

European Commission

European Court of Human Rights

Hadja Lahbib

Izabela death

Mirela Čavajda

My Voice My Choice campaign

Petition to make access to abortion easier submitted to European Commission

With over 1 million signatures, the European citizens' initiative "My Voice, My Choice" submitted its request to the European Commission on Monday to set up a funding mechanism to make abortion more accessible.

By Gregoire Lory & Yolaine de Kerchove
Sep 1, 2025

The issue of abortion is making its way onto the European Commission's agenda. As part of a European citizens' initiative, the "My Voice, My Choice: For Safe And Accessible Abortion" movement submitted a petition with over 1 million signatures to the Commission on Monday.

The petition calls on the Commission to present a proposal to set up a funding mechanism to guarantee safe and affordable access to voluntary termination of pregnancy.

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/09/01/petition-to-make-access-to-abortion-easier-submitted-to-european-commission

01.09.2025

News

Anastasia Giamali

European Commission

My Voice My Choice campaign

My Voice My Choice: For Safe And Accessible Abortion

Nika Kovač

petition for abortion

Nawrocki win is ‘devastating blow’ for abortion rights activists in Poland

Any hopes to liberalize the country’s strict abortion rules are lost as the nationalist candidate secured a narrow win.

June 3, 2025
By Claudia Chiappa

Lawmakers and activists are warning that nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki’s win in the Polish presidential election represents a “defeat” for women’s rights and further threatens abortion access in Poland.

Nawrocki, a self-described football hooligan backed by the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party — and by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration — won Poland’s presidential election last weekend, narrowly beating centrist Rafał Trzaskowski.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/nawrocki-win-is-devastating-blow-for-abortion-rights-activists-in-poland/

European Citizens’ Initiative on abortion rights hits 1.2 million signatures

Saturday 19 April 2025
Brussels Times

The pro-choice movement for safe and accessible abortion in the EU reached about 1.2 million verified signatures last week surpassing the threshold required for European Citizens’ Initiatives to induce the European Commission to consider new legislative proposals.

To be successful, a European citizens' initiative (ECI), EU’s main instrument for participative democracy, has to reach one million statements of support as well as minimum thresholds in at least seven countries. The initiative My Voice My Choice exceeded the threshold less than a year after the collection of signatures started. The collection period ends on 24 April.

Continued: https://www.brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/1542870/european-citizens-initiative-on-abortion-rights-hits-1-2-million-signatures

19.04.2025