For a right to abortion

The right to abortion is highly contested. While supporters demand that pregnant persons be able to make decisions about their own bodies, opponents want to ban abortions in principle.

The fact is that a ban on abortions does not prevent abortions, but rather leads to more high-risk abortions and violates human rights.

How a person can terminate their pregnancy is regulated differently in the EU Member States: The spectrum ranges from a largely self-determined decision in Sweden to an almost complete ban in Malta.

While the national responsibility largely restricts the role of the European Union, the European Parliament calls for European-wide right to abortion.

Projects

Self-determination under pressure? The right to abortion in Europe

The Dossier introduces how European institutions deal with the right to abortion. It focuses on political initiatives that the European Parliament is actively involved in.

In an interview, Caroline Hickson, Regional Director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN), and Leah Hoctor, Senior Regional Director for Europe at the Center for Reproductive Rights, talk about how their organisations campaign for the right to abortion in Europe and what type of support they need and demand from the European Union.

This is even more important against the backdrop of reactionary counter forces who are transnationally connected: Opponents of a right to abortion do not just seek to ban pregnancy terminations, they also question gender equality across Europe. As a result, they threaten democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

The Dossier was published on the occasion of International Safe Abortion Day, the international day of action for the right to safe and legal access to abortion on September 28.

Dossier 1/2023: Self-determination under pressure? The right to abortion in Europe

Lange, Katrin

2023

PDF-Dokument (accessible)

The Dossier deals with European, national and civil society perspectives on the right to abortion.

Regulation and provision of abortion

The freedom to decide whether and by what means a person wishes to conceive and bear children is also enshrined in human rights and is a basic requirement of gender equality. Restrictive regulations of abortions violate human rights and endanger the health of pregnant women, non-binary, and trans* people who seek an abortion. The World Health Organisation recommends for states to enable swift access to safe abortions. The realities in EU Member States however differ to varying degrees from those recommendations.

The Working Paper compares regulations, coverage of costs, and provision as well as data on abortions in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain. It contrasts existing regulations and practices with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation, human rights standards of reproductive and sexual rights, and the concept of reproductive justice. All five EU Member States should improve their regulation and provision of abortions, to effectively guarantee the rights and health of pregnant persons.

The Working Paper was also published on International Safe Abortion Day. Please note that the complete version of the Working Paper is only available in German. A more detailed summary in English will be published here at a later date.