Members of the European Parliament have voted 336-163 in favour of a motion to enshrine abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Earlier today, in what appears to be a largely symbolic vote, 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.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “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. A majority of those who voted want the unborn citizens of member states to be devoid of any protections in the womb. This is nothing short of tragic”.
“It is deeply disturbing that these MEPs are attempting to make the right to end the lives of its unborn citizens one of the basic principles of the EU”.
Ireland
For: 12
Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)
- Deirdre Clune
- Frances Fitzgerald
- Seán Kelly,
- Colm Markey,
- Maria Walsh
Renew Europe Group
- Barry Andrews
- Billy Kelleher
The Left group in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL:
- Clare Daly
- Luke Ming Flanagan
- Chris MacManus
- Mick Wallace
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
- Grace O’Sullivan
Against: 0
Poland
For: 16
Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)
- Magdalena Adamowicz
- Krzysztof Brejza
- Jerzy Buzek
- Andrzej Halicki
- Danuta Maria Hübner
- Ewa Kopacz
- Elżbieta Łukacijewska
- Janina Ochojska
- Witold Pahl
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
- Marek Paweł Balt
- Marek Belka
- Robert Biedroń
- Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz
- Łukasz Kohut
- Leszek Miller
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
- Sylwia Spurek
Against: 26
European Conservatives and Reformists Group
- Adam Bielan
- Joachim Brudziński
- Ryszard Czarnecki
- Anna Fotyga
- Patryk Jaki
- Karol Karski
- Beata Kempa
- Izabela-Helena Kloc
- Joanna Kopcińska
- Elżbieta Kruk
- Beata Mazurek
- Andżelika Anna Możdżanowska
- Tomasz Piotr Poręba
- Elżbieta Rafalska
- Rafał Romanowski
- Bogdan Rzońca
- Jacek Saryusz-Wolski
- Beata Szydło
- Dominik Tarczyński
- Grzegorz Tobiszowski
- Witold Waszczykowski
- Jadwiga Wiśniewska
- Anna Zalewska
- Kosma Złotowski
Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)
- Adam Jarubas
- Jan Olbrycht
Abstain: 2
Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)
- Jarosław Duda
- Włodzimierz Karpiński
Malta
For: 0
Against: 3
Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)
- David Casa
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
- Alexander Matthew Agius Saliba
- Josianne Cutajar
Abstain: 1
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
- Alfred Sant
