“My Voice, My Choice”: European Parliament Backs Initiative for Accessible Abortion Care

In a resolution adopted by the plenary, the European Parliament highlights that many women within the EU still face serious restrictions in accessing legal and safe abortion services. MEPs voice strong concern over the legal and practical barriers that persist in several member states and urge those countries to modernise their legislative frameworks in line with international human rights standards.

The proposal was approved with 358 votes in favour, 202 against and 79 abstentions, and calls on the European Commission to make use of the My Voice, My Choice initiative. Its aim is to establish a voluntary EU-funded financial instrument that would help member states provide safe abortion services to individuals who lack access to them, always in accordance with national legislation.

WOMAN POWER
The European Parliament calls for an ambitious Gender Equality Strategy

Rights and bodily autonomy
MEPs stress the need for stronger European action in the field of sexual and reproductive health. They call for the safeguarding of bodily autonomy through universal access to:
• Family planning services and information
• Affordable contraception
• Safe abortion procedures
• High-quality maternal healthcare

At the same time, the Parliament condemns attempts to undermine gender equality and attacks against defenders of women’s rights, warning of an alarming trend of regression at both European and global level.

Statements
Rapporteur Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew, Sweden) described the outcome as a major victory for women across Europe, noting that the EU is now recognising reproductive health as a fundamental right. She underlined that Parliament’s response to citizens’ demands demonstrates the power of democratic cooperation.

Eleonora Meleti, rapporteur for the European People’s Party (EPP) and coordinator of the EPP in the FEMM Committee, played a pivotal role in the process. Without her persistence, negotiation skills, hard work and political determination, the resolution would never have reached the plenary. And without the EPP—the largest political group in the European Parliament—no majority would have been possible.
Meleti made it clear that this initiative is neither a “right-wing minefield” nor a “left-wing banner.” When everything is framed in partisan terms, the essence risks being lost. And here, she stressed, the essence is simple: women.

“Women’s rights do not belong to parties. They belong to women. Dignity cannot depend on where you were born. Safety cannot depend on how much money you have. Healthcare cannot depend on ideologies,” said the Greek MEP from New Democracy, addressing the plenary.
As she put it, the real question is clear and straightforward:
“Do we trust women? Not when it is easy. Not when it is fashionable. But when it is difficult. When it truly matters. At the hardest moment in a woman’s life, Europe must not judge. It must trust and support.”

Timeline and next steps
The European Commission is now required to present its proposals—legislative or otherwise—by March 2026, providing full justification for the choices it makes.

Background
The European Citizens’ Initiative allows EU citizens to directly request new legislation, provided at least one million signatures are collected from seven different member states. Since its introduction under the Lisbon Treaty, 13 initiatives have successfully met this threshold.
My Voice, My Choice surpassed 1.12 million signatures, with organisers presenting their case during a formal hearing at the European Parliament on 2 December 2025.