At their plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday 17 December, MEPs adopted the resolution of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) on the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘My Voice, My Choice’ (https://aeur.eu/f/jbi ) to improve access to safe and legal abortion in the European Union.
This text’s approval by 358 votes in favour, 202 against and 79 abstentions, following the rejection of the alternative draft resolution tabled by EPP and ECR MEPs, was met with exclamations of joy and applause in the Chamber.
The resolution, tabled by Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew Europe, Swedish), calls on the European Commission to set up a voluntary financial solidarity mechanism, financed by European funds, to support Member States that ensure access to termination of pregnancy for women who do not have access in their country of residence.
The Commission will have to announce by March 2026 what action it intends to take on this initiative, supported by over 1.12 million signatories.
Of the nine amendments tabled by the ECR group, only Amendment 7, introducing a recital stating that “only biological women can get pregnant and bear children”, was adopted.
The Renew Europe, S&D, Greens/EFA and The Left groups welcomed the vote as a major step forward for women’s rights. Rapporteur Abir Al-Sahlani, along with Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (S&D, Polish), Mélissa Camara (Greens/EFA, French) and Emma Fourreau (The Left, French) urged the Commission to transform this political signal into action.
The text: https://aeur.eu/f/k26 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)