Amnesty International has called on European governments to ensure equal and universal access to abortion care amid ongoing restrictions and growing attempts to further limit reproductive rights. Despite progress in several countries, harmful barriers continue to prevent many people from accessing safe and timely abortion services. Well-funded anti-rights groups are increasingly influencing policies and laws, spreading fear and disinformation to restrict access further, threatening hard-won reproductive rights victories.
According to Amnesty International, abortion access in Europe remains limited by both visible and invisible obstacles. Administrative, social, and practical barriers—such as medically unjustified delays, conscience-based refusals by healthcare providers, shortages of trained professionals, gestational limits, and high costs—disproportionately affect marginalized communities, including low-income individuals, adolescents, people with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ individuals, sex workers, and those with precarious migration status. In at least 20 countries, criminal sanctions for abortions outside the law exacerbate stigmatization and delay essential healthcare.
Financial and legal hurdles further restrict access. In many countries, abortion care is not covered by health insurance or national health systems, making it prohibitively expensive. Widespread conscientious objection by medical professionals in countries like Italy, Croatia, and Romania results in delays or outright denial of services. Mandatory waiting periods and compulsory counselling, imposed in countries including Albania, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, and Portugal, create additional barriers. Türkiye requires married women to obtain spousal consent within the 10-week limit. These restrictions force thousands of pregnant people annually to travel abroad to access abortion care.
Efforts to roll back abortion rights are being driven by transnational anti-gender movements composed of conservative and religious groups, think tanks, civil society organizations, and media influencers. In Croatia, anti-rights political alliances with the Catholic Church have led to repeated attempts to limit abortion access. Slovakia has seen parliamentary efforts to restrict or ban abortion, and constitutional amendments in 2025 threaten reproductive rights. Hungary and Italy have introduced additional barriers, often justified with arguments about low birth rates or anti-migrant rhetoric.
Violence and intimidation outside clinics are further obstructing access. In Poland, Austria, France, and Germany, healthcare providers and patients face harassment from anti-abortion protesters, creating unsafe environments. Amnesty International emphasizes that abortion is essential healthcare and a human right. European governments and institutions must act decisively to decriminalize abortion, remove existing access barriers, and resist anti-rights campaigns to ensure safe and timely reproductive healthcare for all.
