Brussels, 10 April 2024
Today, the European Commission decided to register a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘My Voice, My Choice: For Safe And Accessible Abortion’.
The organisers of the initiative call on the Commission to submit a proposal for financial support to Member States for enabling safe termination of pregnancies for anyone in Europe who lacks access to safe and legal abortion.
The initiative does not concern the granting of a right to abortion at EU level and the registration decision must be viewed within the limits of Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the limits within which the EU has only supportive competence of the action of the Member States in the field of health policy and the organisation and delivery of health services, including sexual and reproductive health.The decision to register is of a legal nature and it does not prejudge the final legal and political conclusions of the Commission on this initiative and the action it would take, if any, in case the initiative obtains the necessary support.
As the European Citizens’ Initiative fulfils the formal conditions established in the relevant legislation, the Commission considers that it is legally admissible. The Commission has not analysed the substance of the proposals at this stage.
Next Steps
Following today’s registration, the organisers have six months to open the signature collection. If a European Citizens’ Initiative receives one million statements of support within one year from at least seven different Member States, the Commission will have to react. The Commission will have to decide whether or not it will take action in response to the request, and will be required to explain its reasoning.
Background
The European Citizens’ Initiative was introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012. Once formally registered, a European Citizens’ Initiative allows one million citizens from at least seven EU Member States to invite the European Commission to propose legal acts in areas where it has the power to act. The conditions for admissibility are: (1) the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission’s powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, (2) it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and (3) it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.
Since the beginning of the European Citizens’ Initiative, the Commission has registered 111 initiatives.