European Citizens’ Initiative on abortion access endorsed by European Parliament

The European Parliament has adopted its response to the European Citizens’ Initiative My Voice, My Choice, setting out its position following one of the largest acts of civic mobilisation in recent EU history.

More than 1.2 million citizens across 19 Member States used the European Citizens’ Initiative to bring a long-standing inequality to the European level: access to safe abortion that still depends on where a person lives. With today’s vote, Parliament has formally responded to that call.

The resolution calls on the European Commission to establish a voluntary, solidarity-based, opt-in EU financial mechanism that would enable Member States choosing to participate to provide abortion care to people who cannot access it in their home country. It also calls for the mechanism to be included in both the current and next Multiannual Financial Framework, recognising that solidarity requires long-term and predictable support.

Across the European Union, an estimated 20 million women continue to face legal or practical barriers to safe and legal abortion. For many, this means delayed or inaccessible care, forced travel abroad, and avoidable health risks that can have lasting consequences for women’s lives. Member States with more accessible systems already receive patients from other countries; the proposed mechanism would support national healthcare systems by helping to cover the costs for Member States providing abortion care to non-residents and by sharing responsibility more fairly across the Union.

With Parliament’s position now adopted, Renew Europe will keep up the efforts and attention on the European Commission, to make sure it delivers a response to the Citizen's Initiative in March 2026.