In the past few years, there have been efforts to improve abortion law and policy and access to services, including in Ireland, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland and services, including in Ireland, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland and Germany. In other parts of the world, there has been progress, e.g. more Australian and Mexican states have decriminalised abortion, successful mass protests in Brazil prevented restricting the current law, and there have been successful battles across the USA to enshrine the right to abortion in state laws. Another important milestone was reached in France, which is one of the first countries in Europe to enshrine abortion in its constitution. At the same time, many European countries still have laws that criminalise abortions. Even in countries with relatively liberal laws, barriers exist in the form of time limits, third party approval, regulations, costs and social stigma, which hinder access.

Our call to action

We call on all national and European policymakers and national and local healthcare systems – and the European Union – to address the following challenges, and on activists and allies to hold them to account. We call for:

1.    Full decriminalisation of abortion

Time limits and restrictive grounds continue to be legally enforced contrary to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Abortion Care Guideline 2022. Navigating hostile abortion laws and bureaucratic healthcare systems can be complicated even for those who understand the nuances of the law in their country – and many do not. These barriers are impacting those facing multiple obstacles, including discrimination based on their gender identity, poverty, domestic abuse, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and migration status, the most. Therefore, we call for complete decriminalisation of abortion in all countries, both as a harm reduction strategy to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity but also to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights, bodily autonomy and voluntary motherhood. 

2.    Recognise abortion as healthcare

Despite the WHO and the United Nations (UN) formally recognising abortion as healthcare, many countries in Europe do not require their healthcare systems to treat it as such. With abortion being stigmatised, and those who provide it risking criminalisation even when operating in line with recognised clinical best practice, it is no surprise that there are gaps in provision, including in self-managed abortion. This means that everyone with an unwanted pregnancy may be left with no choice but to travel internally or abroad for abortion care, despite living in a country with relatively liberal abortion laws. 

3.    Abolish waiting periods and time limits 

Most women know they want an abortion before they seek help. There is no clinical reason why anyone should be forced to undergo counseling or wait for a period of time before having an abortion. These deny women’s right to make their own life choices. Waiting periods and delays are particularly prohibitive in countries with limited or no second trimester abortion provision. There are often no signs of pregnancy until eight weeks’ gestation, yet many countries have a combination of time limits and waiting periods which make access difficult or impossible beyond 12 weeks. 

Abortion is essential healthcare, and healthcare is a human right. In line with WHO guidance, we support self-managed abortion and universal access to safe abortion in healthcare services. We will fight to make sure all policymakers and health service providers in Europe recognise this, and we will not stop until everyone who seeks an abortion can have one safely, legally, and without delay or stigma.  

Who we are 

The European Safe Abortion Networking Group is a group of national, regional, and international sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) organisations based in Europe, working for universal access to safe, legal abortion. The group was formed in 2019.