On Monday, volunteers behind a European citizen initiative (ECI) calling for safe abortion, formally delivered over 1.2 million signatures to the European Commission.

On 1 September, the transnational feminist initiative My voice, My choice, formerly delivered over one million verified signatures to the European Commission in Brussels. Launched in April 2024, the initiative gathered over 1.2 million verified signatures within a year. Now the Commission has until March 2026 to issue an official response.

The initiative demands a European-wide framework that provides EU member states with the necessary financial support allowing for universal access to safe and legal abortions, regardless of national legislation. In practice this would mean that women from Malta could seek the necessary medical care in other EU countries providing treatment.

It's important to note that the ECI doesn't aim to decriminalise abortion, but rather functions as an additional mechanism available to those seeking it.

The organisers were motivated after the historic overturn of reproductive rights in the US (Roe v Wade), which lead them to reflect on the legal status within the EU. "We're all used to saying, 'oh, those weird Americans.' But in Europe, we haven't actually secured that either," says Jana Degrott, who helped raise awareness on a Luxembourgish level.

In Malta, women can face prison time for undergoing an abortion, while Germany continues to heavily restrict access to safe and timely abortions. The organisation reports that "20 million women in the EU do not have access to safe abortion care."

Luxembourgish results disappoint

While neighbouring countries like Belgium, France, and Germany reached their national thresholds, Luxembourg only reached 66.69% of the required signatures (2,821 of 4,230). Degrott recalls the challenge of gathering signatures in Luxembourg: "It was really stressful and last minute", but spirits remain high as Luxembourg's failure to reach the threshold, doesn't impact the wider success of the campaign.

"We're currently in the lobbying phase. That means the Commission can hardly ignore it, it's practically impossible," she adds.

Degrott, who attended the official handover of signatures in Brussels, joined other key figures behind the movement in celebrating the milestone at Monday’s press conference.. "People were talking, we were crying, you know, it was so powerful," she continues: "This goes beyond borders, it’s not just a Luxembourgish thing", affecting everyone across Europe and the world.

Ceci Vieira, another voice backing the movement in Luxembourg, emphasises how privileged we are in Luxembourg: "We have abortion rights, and they've even been improved recently." Vieira refers to the 3-day waiting period being abolished earlier this year, adding that: "There are countries in Europe where you can still get punished for wanting to have an abortion".