ADVERTISEMENT

EU Parliament Votes Against Making Abortion a 'Human Right'

AP
December 11, 2013

The European Union’s parliamentary body, the European Parliament, rejected a report on Tuesday that said abortion was a  "human right."

If the parliament adopted the report, it would have pressured the pro-life countries in the EU, such as Ireland and Malta, to change their abortion laws. According to Life News the original report also would restrict the rights of gynecologists who would conscientiously object to performing abortions.

Life News reported:

"The "Report on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights", put forward by Edite Estrela MEP, suggested that abortion is a human right, called for compulsory sex education for all children in and outside of school, and attacked conscientious objection for healthcare professionals," Smeaton continued.

The report asserts that currently, in countries where abortion is legal, it is often rendered unavailable due to physicians’ "abuse of conscientious objection or overly restrictive interpretations of existing limits."

The proposed legislation seeks to require member nations to "regulate and monitor the use of conscientious objection so as to ensure that reproductive health care is guaranteed as an individual’s right, while access to lawful services is ensured and appropriate and affordable referrals systems are in place."

The report goes on to state, "There are cases reported from Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Ireland and Italy where nearly 70 per cent of all gynecologists and 40 per cent of all anesthesiologists conscientiously object to providing abortion services."

Published under: Abortion