A European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) submitted to the European Commission, backed by over one million signatures, is calling for an EU-wide right to safe abortion access.
The initiative’s goal is to ensure "universal access to safe abortion services within the EU, without discrimination," according to the transnational feminist campaign My Voice, My Choice, who submitted the petition.
Speaking at a press conference near the Berlaymont building in Brussels on Monday, campaign coordinator Nika Kovač declared: "Today, we are making history. For the first time, the European Commission will be compelled to put abortion rights on its political agenda because of a citizens’ initiative."
The campaign highlighted persistent inequalities across Europe. In Malta, abortion remains illegal, punishable by imprisonment. In Italy, despite legalisation in 1978, many women face barriers to access due to widespread refusal by practitioners. Germany, often seen as a liberal country, imposes strict medical conditions on abortions.
"Women are risking their lives for what is fundamentally a human right," the campaign organisers stated, with Kovač adding: "No one has the right to dictate what we can or cannot do with our lives."
The signature drive launched in April 2024, giving organisers one year to collect the endorsements required: at least one million signatures from at least seven EU countries, with minimum thresholds in each.
By April 2025, the goal was surpassed, with 1.2 million individuals signing in support. Following the verification of signatures, the petition was formally submitted to the European institutions.
In Belgium, 18,313 signatures were gathered, surpassing the country’s minimum threshold of 15,840 for valid participation in an ECI.
The European Commission now has six months to respond to the proposal. Advocates of “My Voice, My Choice” insist that the time is ripe for the EU to recognise abortion as a fundamental human right.
