Luxembourg: Three-day reflection period abolished for women seeking abortion

Motion to extend period during which women can get an abortion from 12 to 14 weeks however fails

Cordula Schnuer, Editor-in-chief
July 9, 2025

Parliament this week scrapped a mandatory three-day waiting period between seeking a doctor’s consultation on an abortion and the procedure being carried out.

The government in January had sent the draft law to the Chamber of Deputies for review and adoption as part of the regular lawmaking proceedings. The assembly on Tuesday voted on the text, with a broad majority - all parties except for the right-wing populist ADR - supporting the bill.

Continued: https://www.luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/luxembourg-abolishes-mandatory-three-day-waiting-period-for-women-seeking-abortion/76844850.html

09.07.2025

News

abortion law reform

three-day waiting period

Germany Fails to Advance Critical Abortion Law Reform

Statement from the Center for Reproductive Rights on stalled abortion law reform in Germany

Feb 12, 2025

The Center for Reproductive Rights expresses deep disappointment over the failure of Germany’s Legal Affairs Committee to advance a cross party proposal aimed at modernising the country’s outdated abortion laws and improving access to essential reproductive care.

Introduced in November, the proposal sought to fully legalise abortion on request up to 12 weeks and remove the mandatory three-day waiting period, among other key reforms. It followed a report from a government-appointed expert commission, released last year, which highlighted how Germany’s current abortion law falls short of international human rights and public health standards.

Continued: https://reproductiverights.org/germany-fails-abortion-law-reform/

12.02.2025

News

abortion law reform

Center for Reproductive Rights

Legal Affairs Committee

three-day waiting period

German campaigners demand abortion be fully legalized

Femke COLBORNE
Dec 7, 2024

German campaigners are pushing for reform to remove legal hurdles for women seeking an abortion, with emotions running high on the issue as the country heads for early elections.

Under German law, abortion is illegal but tolerated in practice for women who are up to 12 weeks pregnant. However, a woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy must first receive compulsory counselling, followed by a three-day waiting period and many doctors say the process can be complicated as well as traumatic.

Continued: https://www.citizentribune.com/news/national/german-campaigners-demand-abortion-be-fully-legalised/article_6d07dcde-c96d-51b3-bd5a-16aec48b1e65.html

Abortion in Germany: Preelection push for liberalization

A left-wing cross-party initiative in Germany has been launched to decriminalize abortion in the early stages of pregnancy. Polls show public support, but conservative lawmakers are opposed.

Julie Gregson
Dec 2, 2024

Lawmakers from Germany's center-left parties want to make abortion legal in Germany — in the first three months of pregnancy.

Germany's paragraph 218 outlawing abortions first entered the statute books in 1871 and has long been controversial. While abortion remains illegal, women since the 1990s have been permitted to have them within the first three months of pregnancy without risk of prosecution if they undergo counseling at least three days before the procedure. Terminations in the case of rape or when the woman's mental or physical health is at risk are also exempt from punishment.

Continued: https://www.dw.com/en/abortion-in-germany-preelection-push-for-liberalization/a-70922840

Germany Faces Growing Pressure to Reform its Outdated Abortion Law

New law proposed by German organizations and experts builds on recommendations from a government-appointed expert commission

Oct 24, 2024
Center for Reproductive Rights

On 17 October, German civil society organisations and legal experts unveiled a new model law that showcases how vital legal reform on abortion can be achieved. The proposal builds on recommendations from a government-appointed expert commission, released earlier this year, which highlighted how Germany’s current abortion law falls short of international human rights and public health standards.

The group is urging German lawmakers to use the model law as a framework for long-overdue reform, calling for urgent action to expedite the adoption of changes needed to modernise the country’s legislation. They also presented a petition calling on German lawmakers to align with the broader European trend of removing harmful barriers to abortion access and expanding reproductive healthcare rights.

Continued: https://reproductiverights.org/germany-proposal-reform-abortion-law/

Ireland – Lack of action on State’s abortion law shows ‘political cowardice’

MON, 15 JAN, 2024
CIARA PHELAN, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said it will be “cruel” and “political cowardice” if the Government decides against removing a three-day waiting period to access abortion services.

Ms Cairns has called on Government to deal with the recommendations from the final review into the State’s abortion law, authored by barrister Marie O’Shea, which recommends significant changes.

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-41309473.html

15.01.2024

three-day waiting period

A ‘Frozen War’ in Europe Threatens Sex, Abortion and LGBTQ Rights

Armenian authorities are officially pro-choice but also desperately want to increase the country's birth rate to create more soldiers to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh.

By Sophia Smith Galer
August 14, 2023

YEREVAN, Armenia – There haven’t been any attacks at the Women’s Resource Center’s new address – at least, not yet. Anush Poghosyan, who leads the sexual and reproductive health project for the NGO, told VICE News that physical attacks were frequent before they moved to another location in the capital.

Human rights groups fighting for better sexual and reproductive health rights, including the Women’s Resource Center, have told VICE News they are experiencing increased levels of targeted harassment for the work that they do. Poghosyan said she has been asked “Why are you destroying our families?” at women’s marches, and at one event, after her organisation had translated a book for parents to speak to children about sex education, around 20 people unhappy with the book’s content arrived to throw eggs.

Continued: https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5ydq3/armenia-nagorno-karabakh-abortion-lgbtq-rights

Spain passes pioneering sexual, reproductive health law

December 15, 2022
Reuters

MADRID - Spain's parliament on Thursday passed a sexual and reproductive health law that allows girls aged 16 and 17 to undergo abortions without parental consent and, in a first for a European country, offers state-funded paid leave for women who suffer from painful periods.

"These advancements allow us to exercise freedom over our bodies, with the state recognising the full citizenship of more than half the population," Equality Minister Irene Montero told lawmakers before the vote, which was adopted with a 190-154 majority and five abstentions.

Continued: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-passes-pioneering-sexual-reproductive-health-law-2022-12-15/

15.12.2022

three-day waiting period

‘Extremely reckless’: Anti-abortion campaign calls for remote consultations to stop

During Covid pandemic, women seeking abortions did not need to visit GP in person

Sarah Burns
Sat Nov 12 2022

An anti-abortion campaign has described plans to continue remote consultations for women seeking access to abortion care in the State as “extremely reckless”.

Women seeking an abortion during the coronavirus pandemic did not need to visit a GP in person, but this measure was due to lapse following the end of Covid 19 travel restrictions.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/health/2022/11/12/extremely-reckless-anti-abortion-campaign-calls-for-remote-consultations-to-stop/

Ireland – ‘Threat of criminal sanctions’ hangs over medical practitioners who provide abortion services

1 May 2022
Carlow Live

The threat of criminal sanctions hangs over medical practitioners who provide abortion services in Ireland, politicians have been told.

Alison Spillane, a senior policy and research officer at the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA), described to the Oireachtas Health Committee how the fear of prosecution “sits in the consultation room” between patient and doctor.

Continued: https://www.carlowlive.ie/news/local-news/802205/threat-of-criminal-sanctions-hangs-over-medical-practitioners-who-provide-abortion-services.html