Pressure is increasing on the European Commission as 170 civil society organisations have formally urged Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take action on the European Citizens’ Initiative “My Voice, My Choice”, which calls for stronger support and safeguards for access to abortion across the European Union. The initiative, which surpassed one million signatures in 2025, requires the Commission to decide by 2 March whether it will take legal follow-up action.

In a joint letter, the signatories called on the Commission to establish a European support fund aimed at ensuring access to abortion services, particularly for those facing financial, legal or practical barriers. According to the organisations, the Commission now has a clear opportunity to respond to growing threats to reproductive rights, prevent harm and introduce a concrete solution at the EU level.

The letter was signed by major pan-European organisations, including the Center for Reproductive Rights and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, alongside national civil society groups such as Poland’s Akcja Demokracja and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union. It was addressed not only to Ursula von der Leyen, but also to EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib, and Commission Vice-President for Social Rights Roxana Mînzatu.

This mobilisation comes amid increasingly vocal opposition to abortion rights. In recent weeks, far-right and conservative politicians have intensified their rhetoric, with some framing the initiative as a threat to national sovereignty and falsely claiming it would promote “abortion tourism” funded by the EU. Opponents have argued that health policy, including abortion, remains a national competence.

Civil society organisations, however, stress that the proposed mechanism would respect national decision-making. Participation in any potential fund would be voluntary, and the initiative would not override national abortion laws or healthcare systems. The European Commission itself confirmed during a European Parliament debate in December that the initiative does not seek to interfere with national legislation on abortion.

Political support at the EU level has continued to grow. On 17 December, the European Parliament narrowly adopted a resolution backing the “My Voice, My Choice” initiative. More recently, on 21 January, the European Economic and Social Committee issued an opinion recognising abortion as a fundamental human right and endorsing the proposed financial support mechanism.

The full original article is available on Euractiv and can be read here: https://www.euractiv.com/news/pressure-mounts-on-commission-as-170-groups-back-eu-abortion-initiative/