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Belgium – Proposed liberalisation of abortion laws: 12, 14 or 18 weeks – a scientific question or an ethical choice?
The Belgian Minister for Justice, Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), announced in early June that a bill would shortly be tabled to substantially amend the current legislation on abortion. The bill proposes, in particular, to extend the legal time limit for voluntary termination of pregnancy from 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy,...
News Abortion
Criminalisation of abortion prior to 1990 in Belgium: towards recognition of ‘harm’?
The Belgian Federal Parliament is currently considering a draft resolution aimed at recognising the harm suffered by individuals convicted under criminal provisions criminalising abortion prior to its partial...
News Abortion
In the Netherlands, the abortion pill is available on request via an online platform
The website thuisabortus.nl was launched in March 2026 under the leadership of GP and sexologist Peter Leusink. He heads a team currently comprising nine doctors and a midwife, who respond online to requests for...
News Abortion
My Voice My Choice: Has the European Commission decided to fund cross-border abortions within the EU?
On 26 February, the European Commission issued its official response to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) My Voice My Choice (MVMC). This stance was eagerly awaited, given that the initiative raised sensitive...
News Abortion
ECHR condemns Poland: delayed publication of a ruling restricting access to abortion undermined legal certainty
In a judgment handed down on 13 November 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned Poland for violating the right of respect for private and family life of the applicant, a Polish national who travelled to the Netherlands to have an abortion, given the genetic disease diagnosed in her unborn child.
To understand...
News Abortion
US study: complications caused by abortion pill for more than 10% of women
A study published by the American think tank The Ethics and Public Policy Center reveals that complications occur in more than 10% of women who have used the abortion pill Mifeprex (the brand name for mifepristone) as...
News Abortion
Live births after late-term abortion are no exception
In Quebec, induced abortions during the second trimester of pregnancy result in a live birth more than one in ten times (11.2%). Of these live-born fetuses, one in ten survives more than 3 hours. These are the findings...
News Abortion
Prof. emeritus Dr. Bernard Spitz: “Abortion: between fundamental right and crime against humanity”
Prof. emeritus Dr. Bernard Spitz is a physician and professor emeritus at the Catholic University of Louvain, where he taught obstetrics and medical ethics. Dr. Spitz is the (co-)author of “Quand vous perdez une...