MEPs back to debate abortion as EU fundamental right

From the correspondent in Strasbourg – After France, the entire European Union: The European Parliament continues to push to include the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, following the example of Paris, which included it in its national constitution on March 4. “Deciding about one’s own body is a fundamental right: there is no equality if women cannot do so; it is impossible without the right to abortion,” made clear Danish MEP Karen Melchior (Renew Europe), presenting the initiative in plenary session this morning (March 14).

Looking forward to a vote scheduled for a mini-plenary session on April 10-11 in Brussels, members of the parliament have relaunched the request already submitted with their July 7, 2022, resolution on the inclusion of the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. “Renew Europe’s initiative is particularly important. I call for this voice to be heard so that women are not prevented from making decisions about their own health and lives,” is the plea of Polish MEP Robert Biedroń (S&D), who also called on the EU Commission to “work on a Charter of Women’s Rights.” In the same vein was French colleague Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Greens/Ale): “There can be no healthy democracy without gender equality; everyone must be able to be in control of their bodies” with “full” access to sexual and reproductive health rights, “including the right to safe abortion.”

According to Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé (EPP), “the right to safe and legal abortion is also a public health issue. We are building the Europe of Health,” but the French MEP also wanted to dwell on the fact that “Macron’s beautiful intention” from a technical point of view “is impossible.” This is because health is not a competence of the Union and an amendment to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights “requires unanimity, European action has limits.” In other words, “with only one vote against it, it cannot be included,” and there are several “reluctant” member states, such as Malta, Poland and Hungary. To this objection, Spanish MEP Eugenia Rodríguez Palop (The Left) pointed the finger at the Union and its members, “The European Union owes an open debt to women because national competence is still tolerated for not accepting the right to abortion or doing a witch hunt.”

Well aware of the limits imposed by the Treaties, the Commissioner for Cohesion and Reform, Elisa Ferreira, assured during the plenary debate that “the Commission will leave no stone unturned to advance fundamental rights,” including “safe and legal” abortion involving several fundamental rights: “Right to health, physical and mental integrity, private family life, family care.” And even if it is a national competence, “member countries must respect the rights in the relevant Constitutions and commitments under international law,” including that all citizens must have access to medical treatment and care: “Reproductive health is part of it,” Ferreira cut in. For inclusion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, she simply reminded that “any amendment would follow the procedure according to article 48″ of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFUE) and would then require the endorsement of all the twenty-seven countries “in accordance with their Constitutions”.