The European Commission has confirmed that EU member states can use existing social funds to help women access safe abortion services, including covering travel costs for those from countries with near-total bans such as Malta and Poland.
The decision follows the "My Voice, My Choice" campaign, which gathered more than 1.2 million signatures and won backing from a majority of MEPs. Equality commissioner Hadja Lahbib described the decision as "groundbreaking", arguing it could help reduce the estimated 500,000 unsafe abortions that take place in Europe each year.
Many called this a political commitment to women's rights across the 27-member bloc. However, some critics, including Poland's conservative legal group Ordo Iuris, argue the measure interferes with national authority over health policy...