The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has given its backing to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) My Voice, My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion, endorsing its proposal for an EU solidarity mechanism enabling women who cannot access abortion in their home country to receive care in another Member State.

During its January plenary session, the EESC adopted an opinion on the ECI, following a debate that underscored that abortion is a fundamental human right that must be protected for every woman.

EESC President Séamus Boland stressed civil society’s essential role, stating that ‘ensuring that rights and services are not only guaranteed in principle, but accessible in practice, lies at the heart of social justice and political responsibility.’

The debate highlighted persistent inequalities across Europe, where restrictive laws or insufficient healthcare force many women abroad or leave them without safe options.

The European Commission’s Deputy Director‑General for Justice and Consumers Irena Moozová noted that the Commission is evaluating the ECI, with conclusions expected by 2 March. Members of the European Parliament and civil society groups warned of a global backlash against reproductive rights. Member of the European Parliament’s Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM) Abir Al‑Sahlani noted that ‘history was made’ when Parliament adopted a resolution supporting the ECI, while Mary Collins of the European Women’s Lobby stressed the need to push back against disinformation.

The rapporteur of the EESC’s opinion, José Antonio Moreno Díaz, reiterated the Committee’s stance: ‘The EESC opinion fully supports the My Voice, My Choice initiative, which recognises the right to abortion as a woman’s right to privacy, integrity, sexuality, personal autonomy and, ultimately, health.’

The initiative, backed by more than 1.2 million signatures, calls for an EU financial mechanism covering abortion‑related costs for women lacking access at home. The Committee agreed in its opinion, stressing that access must not depend on geography or income, and that obstructing abortion may amount to institutional gender‑based violence.(lm)