VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has reacted with sharply divided views after the European Commission ruled that EU member states may voluntarily use existing funds to support access to abortion services across the bloc.
In a decision responding to the “My Voice, My Choice” citizens’ initiative, the Commission said countries could rely on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) to finance abortion access, provided this is done “voluntarily and in accordance with their national laws”. However, it stopped short of proposing new, dedicated funding.
The announcement was welcomed by activists in Malta, where abortion remains largely illegal. Campaign organiser Belle de Jong described the move as “more than historic”, arguing it would ensure Maltese women “will no longer be criminals for accessing healthcare”.
Malta is among the most restrictive EU countries on abortion. The procedure remains illegal except in cases where a woman’s life is in danger, following a 2023 amendment prompted by the high-profile case of US tourist Andrea Prudente, who travelled to Spain for a termination after being denied care in Malta.
Posting on X, Maltese MEP Peter Agius criticised the Commission’s stance, stressing that “abortion is a matter to be regulated by Member States” and noting that no specific EU instrument for cross-border abortion had been created. One Maltese MEP described the decision as “a ‘no’ masked as a ‘yes’”.
The European Parliament had previously endorsed the citizens’ initiative, which gathered more than one million signatures and called for a voluntary EU solidarity mechanism to fund safe and legal abortion access for women forced to travel abroad.
European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib defended the decision, saying member states are now able to use EU funds to support women in remote areas or without financial means. She described the step as enabling better access to safe abortion care across Europe.
Activists welcomed the recognition that EU funds can be used for this purpose but expressed disappointment that no additional resources were allocated. They urged the Commission to issue clearer guidance to member states willing to opt in.
The debate has reignited discussion in Malta, which ranks at the bottom of the EU for abortion access, according to the European Abortion Policies Atlas 2025.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
