NGOs Demand Brussels Bypass National Abortion Restrictions
2nd May 2024
NGOs from eight EU member states have launched a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) asking the European Commission to pass legislation that would force countries with laws against abortion to pay for abortions in other EU countries.
Experts have warned that bypassing national legislation through the proposed loophole might not be legally feasible, however.
In the EU, abortion law falls strictly under national competence, meaning that Brussels cannot force any country to relax its restrictions. However, as the nine NGOs from eight EU countries behind organizing the initiative claim, Brussels could theoretically give financial support to member states with more liberal laws, thereby facilitating abortions for women from other EU countries.