During Gender Equality Week 2025, the EESC’s Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC) hosted a pivotal debate on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) My Voice, My Choice, which is calling for safe and accessible abortion across the EU. The debate brought together campaigners, legal experts, Members of the European Parliament, and representatives from the European Commission to discuss the urgent challenge of ensuring reproductive rights and solidarity for all women in Europe.

At the debate, organisers of the My Voice, My Choice ECI described how the initiative was born out of concern for reproductive rights in Europe, gathering over 1.1 million verified signatures and mobilising thousands of volunteers. The ECI proposes an EU fund to cover abortion costs for women and girls unable to access care in their own countries, creating a voluntary mechanism that respects national sovereignty while fostering solidarity. The campaign has become the largest feminist movement in Europe, aiming to make safe and accessible abortion a reality for every woman in the EU.

Barriers to abortion access: legal and practical realities

Speakers at the debate outlined the commitments EU Member States have made under international treaties to protect sexual and reproductive health and rights. Despite these obligations, access to abortion remains uneven, with legal restrictions, time limits, mandatory waiting periods, biased counselling, and criminalisation persisting in several countries. Malta and Poland maintain some of the most restrictive laws. These barriers force women to travel for care or face unsafe procedures and unwanted pregnancies, disproportionately affecting adolescents and marginalised groups. The ECI’s proposed mechanism would alleviate financial burdens and support women in need, without interfering in national laws.

The debate also addressed political challenges, including opposition from certain groups. MEPs stressed that abortion must be safe and legal, and told the participants that the Parliament’s FEMM Committee had passed a draft resolution supporting the ECI. The resolution calls for the right to legal and safe abortion to be included in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, recognising its centrality to democracy and European values.

Impact of the ECI and next steps

The European Commission confirmed at the debate that the initiative is under evaluation, with a response expected by March 2026. The proposed mechanism respects Member States’ competences and operates as an opt-in system, aiming to fill a legislative gap in cross-border healthcare. (lm)