In one week the European Parliament will vote the Annual report on the equality between women and men in the EU – 2013 presented by MEP Marc Tarabella which includes many very positive points. However, there are also concerns expressed by over 60 000 citizens regarding the contents of these reports as they overstep EU competence and interfere in very sensitive matters related to Human Dignity.
Over 60 000 citizens from across the EU ask the Members of the European Parliament to reaffirm the position already adopted in December 2013 when the European Parliament rejected the so called Estrela Report on “Sexual and reproductive health and rights” (SRHR). In its place the Members of the European Parliament adopted a resolution that reaffirmed the principle of subsidiarity and clearly stated that “the formulation and implementation of policies on SRHR and on sexual education in schools is a competence of the Member States”.
The message is clear: the EU is not competent to take a position on the issue of abortion, it is a national competence and by no means something to be decided on in Brussels. For this reason any reference to the abortion issue should be removed from the text.
The citizens petition launched by FAFCE has already gathered over 60 000 signatures from citizens who ask the EU Parliament to not support a “right to abortion”.
FAFCE President Antoine Renard notes that the tens of thousands of citizens who signed FAFCE’s petition “count on the Members of the European Parliament to respect the principle of subsidiarity and not overstep the competence of the EU. We hope these citizens will be heard, not ignored, by the Members of the European Parliament“.
Contact: Maria Hildingsson, Secretary General
+32 4 70 20 39 18
info@fafce.org
