During its December session, the European Parliament backed the creation of a voluntary fund intended to improve access to safe abortion for women from countries where the procedure is illegal. The resolution follows the citizen-led initiative “My Voice, My Choice.” According to MEPs Elżbieta Łukacijewska and Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, the move would formalize practices that have existed across the EU for years and, as a result, increase women’s safety.
“The European Union—and especially the European Parliament—is the voice of citizens, because citizens elect us as MEPs, and we should address all issues that concern society,” Łukacijewska told Newseria. “We should take up these topics when we see a problem in a member state. That has been the case for years—I remember the previous term, when there were many resolutions on abortion in Poland and calls to ensure access, particularly in situations threatening the life or health of the mother. This debate and this resolution are therefore not an encroachment on national competences. Health and abortion remain national competences, but the voice that resonates from the European Parliament toward women experiencing this tragedy is essential.”
Adopted by 358 votes in favor, 202 against, with 79 abstentions, the text calls on the European Commission to establish a voluntary financial mechanism, open to all EU countries and supported by EU funds. Such an instrument was envisaged by the “My Voice, My Choice” initiative. The mechanism would enable member states, in line with their national laws, to provide access to safe termination of pregnancy for people who lack safe and legal abortion in their own countries.
“This initiative allows countries that, for example, accept Polish women—because only two EU countries do not allow abortion, Poland and Malta—to apply to the European Commission for reimbursement,” Łukacijewska explained. “It is not a mandate or compulsory transfer of funds.”
“The initiative aims to create a financial mechanism so that any country willing to participate in helping women can apply for funding to provide these abortion services,” added Scheuring-Wielgus. “We see that such situations exist and that there is a problem—so why not institutionalize it and help women across Europe?”
In the resolution, the European Parliament stated that many women in Europe lack access to safe and legal abortion, expressed concern about legal and practical barriers in some countries, and urged them to reform abortion laws and policies in line with international human rights standards.
In Poland, abortion is permitted only in two cases: when the life or health of the mother is at risk, or when the pregnancy results from rape. More restrictive rules within the EU apply only in Malta, where a total ban is in force.
“I want to stress—because we rarely talk about this in Polish media—that the fact abortion is banned in Poland does not mean abortions do not happen,” Łukacijewska emphasized. “They happen just as often, but they are more dangerous for women and families. I would not want us to be hypocritical.”
“Polish women travel to Belgium, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, or the Czech Republic. Who pays for it? Non-governmental organizations that receive funding from European governments,” Scheuring-Wielgus said. “We are talking about something that has been happening for years—it is a fact. We want countries to join this mechanism voluntarily and for the European Union to civilize this issue, so that women who decide to undergo such a procedure feel safe in Europe.”
Campaign organizers behind “My Voice, My Choice” argue that the lack of abortion access in many parts of Europe exposes women to physical harm and places economic and psychological burdens on them and their families—often within marginalized communities lacking adequate financial means.
According to data from Poland’s National Health Fund (NFZ), 411 legal abortions were performed in the first half of 2025. In 2024, there were 890 such cases (counted as hospitalizations), which the NFZ classifies as induced miscarriage. Meanwhile, a report by the Abortion Without Borders (ABG) network indicates that in 2025, over 38,500 people terminated pregnancies with its assistance—the vast majority via abortion pills in the first trimester. These figures include 924 abortions after the 12th week and 10 after the 24th week of pregnancy. Last year, ABG allocated about PLN 1 million to support women. On average, 30 people call its hotline daily seeking information on safe abortion, with a similar number of emails received. ABG estimates that six women per day travel abroad for abortion care.
“The initiative will once again spark discussion,” said the Civic Coalition MEP. “In Poland, women expect access to abortion at least up to the 12th week, but for political reasons and due to a lack of majority, this option does not exist. No one has the right to demand heroism from a woman. I hope this appears in the media: if men were the ones who became pregnant and faced tragic choices—between the life of a child and the life of a mother with several children—there likely would be no problem, and abortion on request would have existed in Poland long ago. We absolutely do not want abortion to be a contraceptive method, but there are situations in which no one has the right to judge a woman’s or a family’s decision.”
The “My Voice, My Choice” citizen initiative was signed by more than 1.1 million people across the EU, including just over 43,000 in Poland. European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs) allow EU citizens to ask the European Commission to propose legislation or other measures in areas within its competence.
“ECIs are very rare in the European Parliament,” Scheuring-Wielgus explained. “They are a tool that allows citizens to influence our work and require us, as parliamentarians, to act. To launch an initiative, at least seven countries must participate and one million signatures must be collected. That has just happened. The signatures are then submitted to the Commission, the issue is debated in parliamentary committees, and finally we vote. The initiative returns to the Commission, which decides how to implement it.”
Following the parliamentary vote, the European Commission now has until March 2026 to outline all measures it intends to take, including legislative steps.
In the resolution, MEPs also expressed concern about a growing backlash against women’s rights and gender equality in Europe and worldwide, including rollbacks of sexual and reproductive health rights and attacks on women’s rights defenders.
