EU Parliament votes on making abortion part of its Charter

Members of the European Parliament have voted 336-163 in favour of a motion to enshrine abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

MEPs voted in favour of adding “free and universal” access to “safe and legal abortion” to the EU Charter.

However, as the European Parliament explained in a briefing ahead of the vote, it is not binding because “[c]hanging the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to include abortion would require unanimous agreement from all member states”.

In addition to voting in favour of adding abortion to the Charter, the motion “calls on Poland and Malta to repeal their laws” that provide legal protection for unborn babies.

Abortion should be “obligatory” part of training for doctors

The motion takes aim at ‘conscience clauses’ in the abortion laws of member states, which typically seek to ensure that medical professionals cannot be coerced into performing abortions or be involved in the abortion process. It also urges member states to make abortion methods and training an obligatory aspect of medical training.

Maltese MEP Cyrus Engerer was among the proposers of the motion that explicitly criticises his own country.

The motion, supported by Engerer, also suggests the Maltese abortion law is putting women’s lives at risk despite the fact that in Malta, there are no restrictions on providing lifesaving treatment to women while they are pregnant.

12 out of 13 Irish MEPs voted in favour of the non-binding resolution. Not being present, the thirteenth Irish MEP did not vote.

While this vote appears to be largely symbolic, it is alarming that MEPs want to make abortion part of the very identity of the EU.

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