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James Debono
Maverick Labour MEP John Attard Montalto has signed a declaration supporting abortion in Europe, claiming objection to it immediately afterwards when contacted by MaltaToday.
One of 85 MEPs supporting the introduction of safe abortion in all EU member states, Attard Montalto was still on the list sent this week to MaltaToday by the office of MEP Katalin Lévai, who authored the declaration on “women’s right to self-determination”.
Attard Montalto, who has not denied signing the declaration, claims that he had “qualified his signature in writing”, underlining that he objects to that part of the declaration related to abortion.
“I am completely against abortion,” Attard Montalto stated.
The rules of procedure in the European Parliament on declarations do not contain any provisos for the “qualification” of signatures. MEPs normally show their objection by simply not signing a declaration.
But to prove he had qualified his signature, on Friday Attard Montalto faxed MaltaToday an undated note written on a blank piece of paper, addressed to nobody, without either the MEP’s letterhead or the European Parliament’s insignia.
In the note he qualifies his support by saying that he only supported the part of the declaration dealing with women’s access to accurate information, comprehensive sex education and family planning. “If this qualification is not accepted please inform me to withdraw my signature,” Attard Montalto wrote in the undated note.
Despite having his name still included in the list of signatories, Attard Montalto is now claiming he only agreed with one of the three proposals contained in the declaration: that of establishing a legal framework to guarantee access to accurate information, comprehensive sex education and family planning for all European women.
The MEP says sex education is important to prevent the spread of disease, and that Europe-wide education and family planning services should include access to the morning-after pill for rape victims. Attard Montalto claims giving the pill to rape victims is not abortion: “This is not abortion as the individual taking the pill does not know whether conception has occurred or not.”
The brief pro-abortion declaration, barely twelve lines long, calls on member states like Malta to delete their restrictive clauses on abortion within its Accession Treaty, and for the creation of a legal framework to ensure that women in all EU states “have access to reproductive health including safe abortions.”
Abortion is presently beyond the competence of the EU, being reserved to the governments of the member states.
The declaration calls on the European Commission and member states to consider the prevention of unsafe abortions as a public health priority.
But Attard Montalto now claims he also disagrees with this part of the declaration.
“I don’t think Malta should remove its reservation on abortion in its Treaty of Accession but I would not go as far to entrench abortion in our Constitution as is being proposed by some.”
According to rules of the European Parliament a written declaration is only passed for the consideration of the European Commission and Council if it is signed by a majority of MEPs. In fact the pro-choice declaration lapsed as it was only signed by 85 MEPs.
The majority of those signing the declaration were socialist MEPs but the list of signatories also included eight members of the European People’s Party. None of Malta’s other MEPs signed the declaration, which was conceived in October 2005 when 17 MEPs sponsored the meeting “Abortion - Making It a Right for All Women in the EU”. During this meeting socialist MEP Katalin Lévai proposed a written declaration signed by a majority of MEPs to seek a mandate from the European Parliament to create a legal framework in the EU for a right to abortion. The declaration was tabled in December. It lapsed in March as it did not gather the support of the majority of MEPs.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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