The European Commission on Thursday (February 26) said that member states may use an existing EU social fund to terminate pregnancies free of charge for women that travel from EU nations that restrict access to safe abortions.

The EU's executive body was responding to the "My Voice, My Choice" women's rights campaign which proposed the creation of a fund from the EU budget to cover the costs of abortion procedures abroad for women from countries with near-total bans such as Malta and Poland or countries where abortions are hard to access, like Italy and Croatia.

While the Commission did not commit to creating a new funding instrument, as the initiative requested, it said that member states may use or reallocate resources from an existing EU social fund to give access to safe abortion on a voluntary basis.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ANNOUNCING THAT EU MEMBER STATES MAY USE AN EXISTING SOCIAL FUND FOR SAFE ABORTION FOR WOMEN IN VULNERABLE SITUATIONS

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (FEBRUARY 26, 2026) (EUROPEAN UNION - Access all)

1. EU COMMISSIONER FOR EQUALITY, HADJA LAHBIB, AND THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION'S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR SOCIAL RIGHTS AND SKILLS, ROXANA MINZATU, WALKING INTO PRESS ROOM

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR SOCIAL RIGHTS AND SKILLS AT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, ROXANA MINZATU, SAYING:

"We have analysed the initiative and concluded that, yes, it is possible to use EU funds to support member states' efforts for better access to safe and legal abortion care and therefore to reduce the number of unsafe abortions."

3. LAHBIB AND MINZATU STANDING AT PODIUMS

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR EQUALITY, HADJA LAHBIB, SAYING:

"From now on, we are granting member states the possibility to use EU funding, the European Social Fund, to improve access to abortion. This means support for women who need to travel, support for women in their own country, support for women in remote areas, and support for women without financial means. In practice, it means women will have better access to safe abortion care and vulnerable women anywhere in Europe."

5. REPORTER ASKING QUESTION

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR EQUALITY, HADJA LAHBIB, SAYING:

"Now we must stay united and keep working together for the women in Europe. And this is, of course, urgent because nearly half a million unsafe abortions take place in Europe every year. This is half a million women at risk, half a million women traumatized, half a million women who may carry lifelong consequences, and this is half a million too many."

7. REPORTER ASKING QUESTION

8. LAHBIB AND MINZATU STANDING AT PODIUM

9. REPORTER ASKING QUESTION

10. LAHBIB AND MINZATU LEAVING PRESS CONFERENCE