Pressure mounts on Commission as 170 groups back EU abortion initiative

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.

Continued: https://www.euractiv.com/news/pressure-mounts-on-commission-as-170-groups-back-eu-abortion-initiative/

04.02.2026

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European Citizens’ Initiative

European Commission

funding for abortion

Hadja Lahbib

My Voice My Choice campaign

EU commissioner’s women’s health vision skips over abortion issue

A new EU vision for the future of women’s rights skipped over the issue of abortion, which remains controversial across Europe despite being widely available.

Emma Pirnay, Euractiv
Mar 7, 2025

A new “roadmap” for the future of women's rights from the European Commission's equality commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, lays out her vision for women’s health. But a big question mark hangs over abortion.

Lahbib promised to improve equal access for medical care for women, including more diverse clinical trials, diagnostics and treatments during her Friday presentation of the European Commission's Roadmap for Women’s Rights.

Continued: https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/eu-commissioners-womens-health-vision-skips-over-abortion-issue/

07.03.2025

News

EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

European Commission's Roadmap for Women’s Rights

sexual and reproductive rights

Europe – MEPs delay confirmation of Orban’s commission pick citing concerns over women’s health

The most contentious issue during Olivér Várhelyi's confirmation hearing was women’s health.

By Marta Iraola Iribarren & Gerardo Fortuna
Published on Nov 7, 2024

It’s not over yet for Orbán’s pick as EU Commissioner: His confirmation has been postponed as he failed to impress MEPs, slipping on reproductive and sexual rights.

Following a three-hour hearing, European lawmakers opted on Wednesday night to defer their decision on Olivér Várhelyi's nomination as EU Commissioner for health and animal Welfare, questioning his refusal to acknowledge women's health as an EU competence.

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/health/2024/11/07/meps-delay-confirmation-of-orbans-commission-pick-citing-concerns-over-womens-health

07.11.2024