EU Backs Cross-Border Abortion Access After 1M Sign Petition

When over a million Europeans signed a petition demanding better healthcare access, the European Union listened and made history.

The European Commission announced that member states can now use an existing EU social fund to help women access safe abortion care across borders. The decision came after the "My Voice, My Choice" citizens' initiative collected 1,124,513 signatures across all 27 EU countries.

"My Voice, My Choice started on the streets with a group of women who had had enough that women are secondary citizens," said coordinator Nika Kovač. The movement gained momentum both online and in communities across Europe, building over one million Instagram followers while organizing rallies and petition drives.

The campaign faced unique challenges in countries with strict abortion laws. Dutch journalist Belle de Jong worked in Malta, where abortion remains criminalized, and collected more than 4,000 signatures by focusing on online outreach so people wouldn't fear showing their faces publicly.

Member states can now tap into the European Social Fund Plus, which supports healthcare and social policies, to provide abortion access for women who cannot get care in their home countries. Each country that chooses to participate will design its own program defining how patients can benefit.

The Ripple Effect

The decision breaks new ground for the European Union, which typically leaves healthcare policy to individual countries. Women's rights organizations celebrated the Commission's clear statement that EU funds can support reproductive healthcare, something that was previously uncertain.

"It was previously not clear that member states could use EU funding to provide abortion care to women facing barriers," said Katrine Thomasen from the Center for Reproductive Rights. "This is really the first time the Commission is affirming that EU funds can be used in this way."

The victory demonstrates the power of the European Citizens' Initiative, a mechanism allowing citizens to propose legislation if they gather one million signatures across at least seven countries. Slovenian MEP Matjaž Nemec called it "a victory for European women," while Valérie Hayer, President of Renew Europe, praised the Commission for stating "so clearly that EU funding can support access to safe abortion."

In Malta, activists see the decision as opening doors for future change. "We no longer have an excuse to prosecute women for accessing healthcare because we're paying for them to go abroad," de Jong said.

A grassroots movement proved that when citizens organize across borders, they can create pathways to better healthcare access for millions.

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