COMECE – Abortion is not an EU competence

The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union has said that abortion does not fall under the competences of the European Union and should stop allowing EU citizens to believe so. 

COMECE, which is made up of 26 bishops representing all the member states of the EU, came out with this statement in relation to the Vote that was taken today by the European Parliament on 'Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights', which deals with topics such as abortion. 

"In many EU member states abortion is illegal. Out of consideration for human dignity and the conviction that right to life is absolute, abortion is banned by law. The EU should respect and not interfere with decisions that do not fall within its sphere of competence," it said. 

"COMECE deplores the fact that the Report put to vote today may confuse EU citizens on the remit of the Union competences. With elections to the European Parliament on the horizon, EU citizens need to be reassured that the EU will stick with its legal competences," it said.