European Union lawmakers voted in favor of a motion criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court over its draft decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which has for the past 50 years enshrined the legal rights of Americans to have an abortion.
The motion passed with 364 votes in favor, 154 against, and 37 abstentions.
The resolution shows the EU’s concern with the backsliding in abortion rights in the U.S. not only at the Supreme Court level but also at individual state levels, such as Texas.
The resolution urged for better federal protection of abortion rights. It called on the Supreme Court to remember the importance of upholding the landmark case and called on the White House to enact federal laws to protect abortion rights at a national level.
It also addresses how abortion bans and restrictions will disproportionately affect women in marginalized groups, as well as with lower socioeconomic status.
It calls for the EU to support civil society organizations working for abortion rights, and for member nations to the EU to offer a safe haven for medical professionals who may be at risk of legal persecution and harassment as a result of legitimate work.
Vice President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said that the EU shares President Joe Biden’s concern that repealing Roe v. Wade would be radical, and mark a fundamental shift in U.S. law that will put other human rights into question, especially women’s access to reproductive health care and control over their own lives and their own bodies.
Dombrovskis warned the consequences would be radical, not just for the U.S., but also globally. He warned it will notably lead to an increase in unsafe abortions.
MEPs weighed in on the matter, showing shared concern for the likely deterioration of abortion rights in the U.S. MEP Arba Kokalari from the European People’s Party said that the right to an abortion is a question of liberties, and is fundamental to all women’s opportunities, which is why the resolution is so important.
“It is a signal that the EU stands for freedom, human rights, women’s rights and that we have zero tolerance for those who try to undermine women’s rights,” Kokalari said.
This marks the second time in less than a year that the European Parliament has expressed reservations about how America handles abortion rights.
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