The European Parliament has called for the right to abortion to be included in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, following the US Supreme Court's decision on 24 June to overturn the historic Roe v. Wade decision (Roe v. Wade) which in 1973 enshrined the right to abortion at federal level.
"Everyone has the right to have access to a safe and legal abortion": with 324 votes in favour (155 against and 38 abstentions), MEPs meeting in Strasbourg decided to ask the European Council to include this right in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
"It teaches us a lesson: the human rights of women and girls can never be taken for granted and we must always fight to defend them," said Swedish politician Helene Fridgeon, vice-president of a parliamentary coalition of Socialists and Democrats.
Underscoring fears that anti-abortion movements might spread across Europe, some MEPs said they wanted to see protection measures adopted across the EU.
"The US has shown clearly why we must use every available tool to protect abortion rights in the European Union," said Stéphane Cezzourne, president of the liberal group Renew Europe in the European Parliament.
The resolution calls on member states to add a sentence saying "Everyone has the right to safe and legal abortion" to the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Europe[/B] is considered a bastion of freedom when it comes to relaxing rules on access to abortion. But although the EU last year ratified by law the human right to abortion, implementation varies from country to country.
In the majority of EU countries abortion is allowed within the first trimester of pregnancy. Europe's northernmost countries among the first to legalise abortion are the most liberal.
Sweden ranks number 1 in the EU's European Abortion Policy Atlas. This list was compiled by pro-abortion groups and in Sweden's case abortion is allowed up to 18 weeks of pregnancy.
In contrast, however, in eastern and southern European countries things are not as free. In some of these countries, fierce battles have been fought over every woman's right to abortion.
Source: Cnn.gr
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