Brussels, 15/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The debate to be held on Thursday 16 January at the European Parliament on health and sexual rights will give certain MEPs the opportunity to discuss the controversial bill in Spain which will remove the right to abortion. Only the EPP has not expressed its intention to speak on the subject.
This debate has been included on the agenda of the plenary session at the request of the Social Democrats, who are initially calling for a declaration by the Commission on non-discrimination in the framework of health, reproductive and sexual rights. The MEPs of the S&D Group (supported by those of other groups) have concerns not only about the recent rejection of the report by Edite Estrela (S&D, Portugal) on health and sexual and reproductive rights, but also about a Croatian legislative proposal against gay marriage. The Spanish bill has also made waves within the S&D, ALDE, Greens and GUE/NGL Groups.
The Commission reiterates that it considers the right to abortion as a purely national competence. Health Commissioner Tonio Borg is therefore expected to stick to a declaration on health and fundamental rights, with no link to the issue of abortion in Spain. However, Socialist, Liberal, Green and United Left MEPs, who supported the organisation of the initial debate, are also expected to take advantage of the plenary session agenda to express their concerns about the Spanish bill.
Indeed, on the eve of the debate, a number of MEPs had already criticised this move by the Spanish government (see EUROPE 10996). The leader of the Socialist and Democrat Group, Hannes Swoboda, told the press that it was important to send out a very clear message to Madrid, arguing that the bill sponsored by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (leader of the People's Party of Spain) runs counter to fundamental freedoms. In Swoboda's view, the question is not about “whether you are for or against abortion”, but about “women's right to decide” on their sex lives and maternity. Iratxe Garcia Pérez (S&D, Spain) said that the Spanish bill was not negotiable. Over at the ALDE Group, Spain's Izaskun Bilbao spoke out against a “villainous” law leading to the criminalisation of abortion and risks to women's health. Sophia in 't Veld (ALDE, Netherlands) criticised the Spanish government for its U-turn and called for rights, for all European citizens, to quality public sexual and reproductive health care services. The GUE/NGL Group also expressed its firm opposition and has launched a petition against the bill, which is open to all national and European parliamentarians (and which 124 people have already signed).
The chair of the parliamentary committee on women's rights, Mikael Gustafsson (GUE/NGL, Sweden), said that it was not interference to point out to the Spanish government that it was misguided. For the time being, only the Christian Democrats have remained silent. They will be taking part in Thursday's debate but have not expressed any intention of taking this opportunity to discuss the issue of abortion in Spain. (MD/transl.fl)