Brussels, 27 February 2026
“Believing that an ideology can be imposed from above is an approach that openly conflicts with the principle of subsidiarity, the foundation of the European legal system.
The initiative “My Voice My Choice” is, in fact, an instrument of political pressure on Member States, which uses the instrument of the European Social Fund+ to bypass the national legislations on abortion. The ESF+ was created to improve social inclusion ; to divert ESF+ into funding abortion tourism is a twist of its goal.
Abortion cannot be considered as a health issue. It is a deep ethical concern that involves simultaneously the mother, the father and the baby. To pretend that abortion should fall under the health competence of the EU is distortion of both the Treaties and Accession instruments.
It is time to acknowledge a worrying reality: the use of European Social Fund to promote access to abortion throughout Europe is diametrically opposed to the spirit and objectives of the European Citizens’ Initiative “One of Us,” strongly supported by the FAFCE since 2012. A serious self-criticism regarding the level of attention and commitment dedicated to the protection of life is warranted.
It is unacceptable that European taxpayers will be required to finance abortion practices, especially for citizens of Member States where life is protected from birth such as in Poland or Malta. This situation is also the result of widespread disengagement and growing indifference towards what happens at the European institutions in Brussels.”
Vincenzo Bassi
President of FAFCE
