Significant differences in access to safe and legal abortions continue to be recorded between EU member states, according to a briefing note by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), published on Friday, ahead of International Safe Abortion Day on September 28.
According to the Service, legal restrictions, mandatory waiting periods, costs and limited availability of health services can delay or prevent women from accessing relevant care.
It is stressed that abortion legislation and the organisation of health systems remain primarily the responsibility of the Member States. Differences in national legislative frameworks and access to health services particularly affect young women, migrant women, women with disabilities and those living in rural areas or areas with limited health services.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), cited by EPRS, about 73 million abortions are performed annually worldwide, a number that corresponds to about 29% of all pregnancies. Of these, about 45% are classified as unsafe, while it is estimated that unsafe abortions are associated with 4.7% to 13.2% of maternal deaths worldwide.
According to the overview, Malta and Poland maintain the strictest abortion legislative frameworks in the EU.
In Malta, termination of pregnancy is exempt from criminal liability only under strictly defined conditions, when medical complications pose an immediate risk to the life of the pregnant woman or pose a serious risk to her health that may lead to death.
In Poland, abortion is allowed when the pregnancy threatens the life or health of the woman, or when there are reasonable grounds to suspect that it resulted from a criminal act, including rape or incest.
In contrast, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark allow termination of pregnancy on request during the early stages of pregnancy, without the need to invoke specific reasons.
However, EPRS points out that lawful access does not necessarily imply timely provision of the relevant services. Depending on the Member State, barriers may be mandatory waiting periods, compulsory counselling, pregnancy time limits, costs and the refusal of health professionals to provide services on grounds of conscience.
In Italy, according to estimates cited by the Agency, up to 70% of health professionals invoke a conscientious objection, which limits the availability of services even in cases where abortion is allowed by law.
The briefing note also takes stock of recent legislative and constitutional developments in individual Member States.
In 2024, France became the first country to explicitly enshrine in its Constitution the guaranteed freedom of women to resort to abortion. According to EPRS, it also remains the only EU member state where abortion is provided completely free of charge to all women.
In Sweden, Parliament adopted in 2026 the first decision to constitutionally enshrine the right to abortion, while a second decision is needed for the relevant amendment to enter into force.
In Spain, the government adopted in April 2026 a proposal for a constitutional revision to enshrine the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy, which is still subject to parliamentary approval.
The briefing also refers to the position of the European Parliament and the European Citizens' Initiative 'My Voice, My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion', which collected more than 1.12 million verified statements of support from the 27 Member States.
In December 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the initiative, calling on the Commission to create a voluntary financial solidarity mechanism with European funding.
The proposed mechanism would allow participating Member States to provide, in accordance with their national legislation, safe abortion services to women who do not have access to equivalent care in their country of residence.
In its response to the initiative in February 2026, the Commission underlined that Member States retain responsibility for their health policies. At the same time, she said that they can use existing resources of the European Social Fund+ to improve equal access to legal, affordable and safe abortion services, in accordance with their national legislation.
EPRS notes that, despite different national approaches, discussions at European level address both access to relevant health services and opportunities for cooperation and funding between Member States.
CNA
