Abortion Rights in enlarged EU

This situation was not an outcome of Union policy as such, since the EU has limited authority in relation to national laws on abortion, but rather the general liberal European approach to the issue of reproductive rights and/or women’s rights.While the debate about the access to abortion continued in Ireland and Portugal, there was no evidence of abortion laws being a regional issue.

This situation, however, changed when the number of countries restricting access to abortion expanded as a consequence of EU enlargement. Three of the 10 new member nations either restrict or ban abortion, and some of the other seven have restrictions on abortions occurring after the first trimester.

Additionally, the anti-choice movement seems to be much stronger in Europe today then it was in the past. It is true that antiabortion groups in Europe may not be so well established as those in United States, but never the less they are supported by the Roman Catholic Church, an are given legitimacy by the continent’s low birth rates. As the consequence abortion is becoming increasingly important, polarizing and contradictory issue in Europe. As it was already said in a number of new member states access to abortion is restricted.

At the same time pro-choice activists in some of the new EU countries (for example in Poland) have been hoping that EU membership will provide new avenues for ensuring reproductive rights of women in their countries. Unfortunately quick achievement of reasonable uniformity of laws and approaches to reproductive rights across the EU is unlikely.

 In Portugal, a conservative Catholic country, new Prime Minister Jose Socrates has promised to hold a referendum on whether to liberalize the abortion law. At the same time even his Socialist Party colleagues are divided on the issue.
 In contrast in Poland, despite the efforts of pro-choice lobby, the ruling Democratic Left Alliance Party did not live up to its promise to change strict antiabortion law. This is regardless the fact that surveys show most Poles support introduction of more liberal law. According to Wanda Nowicka, head of the Federation for Women and Family Planning based in Warsaw, Poland "Politicians think it’s better to listen to what the church is saying, not the society".
 The situation is different in Roman Catholic Slovakia, which has retained its pre-transformation laws allowing abortion on demand. Olga Pietruchova, head of Pro-Choice Slovakia says that "It’s a political issue, because the country is really quite liberal. On Sundays, most people go to shopping malls, not to church." Despite this, the pro-choice activists say, a growing number of doctors and hospitals refuse to perform abortions. Further, anti-abortion lawmaker Anna Zaborska of Slovakia was elected to head the European Parliament’s women’s committee in July.

Abortion laws in EU member states

 Allowed on demand in first trimester or later: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden
 Allowed for health, economic and social reasons: Finland, United Kingdom
 Allowed for health reasons or in cases of rape, incest or fetal impairment: Cyprus, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain
 Allowed only to save woman’s life (including from suicide): Ireland
 Banned: Malta