On the 19 February 2022, Decree No.2022-212 was published. It officially and permanently authorised that medical abortion via teleconsultation is permitted up to nine weeks LMP in France starting on 20 February 2022. Previously, it was permitted only up to seven weeks of pregnancy LMP. It modifies the conditions for abortion by teleconsultation, for using medical abortion pills outside health establishments, by allowing such abortions to take place up to nine weeks LMP compared to seven weeks previously. It says the prescription of the pills should be by a doctor or midwife and provided by a community pharmacy. It also eliminates the compulsory intake of the mifepristone in front of the healthcare professional. The doctor or midwife draws up the prescription, indicates on it the name of the health establishment, public or private, the date of this agreement and sends the prescription by secure messaging to the community pharmacy designated by the woman. The drugs are delivered to the woman in such a way as to guarantee confidentiality and, where necessary, to preserve her anonymity.

Then on 23 February, just before the French Parliament went into recess pending national elections in April, a bill extending the upper time limit for abortion from 14 weeks LMP to 16 weeks LMP was finally passed after years of feminist campaigns that have criticised the fact that so many French women have had to travel to other European countries for second trimester abortions. Yet even the increase to 16 weeks will not prevent some women from having to travel.

The vote was a free vote. The bill was first proposed by MP Albane Gaillot, who had previously been a member of Macron’s party. Other members of his party pushed the bill through, even though Macron expressed concerns that second trimester abortions were traumatising, a view that was described by Laurence Rossignol, the former Socialist Minister for Families, as a cliché of the past when abortion was illegal.

In spite of that, as we reported last month, Macron told the European Parliament that the right to abortion should be added to the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.

SOURCES: Decree No. 2022-212 of February 19, 2022 relating to the conditions for carrying out voluntary terminations of pregnancy by medication outside health establishments (Edited from Google translation). https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000045190889  ; The Guardian, by Angelique Chrisafis, 23 February 2022