EU unlocks funding for safe abortion travel but it’s a long road for Maltese women

The European Commission has said existing EU funding programmes can be used to support access to safe abortion care, especially for women in vulnerable situations.

The clarification followed the commission’s decision not to create a new funding mechanism to expand abortion access across Europe as requested by pro-choice activists. The request was made after 1.2 million citizens from all EU countries backed the My Voice, My Choice initiative.

In its deliberations, the commission said a new framework was “not necessary” because support can already be given through existing EU funds. One of these is the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), a €142.7 billion kitty mainly used for jobs and social services. The ruling means that countries can use this fund, in line with their national laws, to help women travel abroad for safe abortion care.

Abortion legislation is a national competence. This is why Malta remains the only EU country where abortion is illegal bar the limited exception when a woman’s life is in grave danger.

Given that abortion in Malta remains a criminal offence punishable by prison for both the woman and her doctor, it is very unlikely the government will use EU funds to finance abortion care travel. So, how will the commission’s ruling impact women who live in Malta?

Former MEP Cyrus Engerer told MaltaToday that Maltese individuals and NGOs depend on other countries choosing to use their funding in this way.

“It is up to each government to decide how to use the funding, based on the plan they submitted to the European Commission,” he said. “Some countries have said they will use part of their funding to support women travelling there for abortion services.”

Engerer said one advantage of the commission’s decision is speed. Since it uses an existing fund, there is no need to create a new one, which will take time. Governments only need to finalise their projects and get them approved. After that, women could access support through Maltese NGOs.

Abortion rights activist and academic Isabel Stabile, a gynaecologist, said the details are still unclear. She believes the ruling is unlikely to help women who order abortion pills. In 2025 alone, 667 abortion pills were sent to Malta.

She said women who need pills may still face practical problems, such as arranging childcare or taking time off work, which could limit the benefit of the funding.

Stabile said those most likely to benefit are women who find out their foetus has a serious or fatal condition, often discovered at around 20 weeks.

She argued that despite Malta’s strict abortion laws, the government could still apply for ESF+ funding. Stabile suggested the government apply for the funding but limit it to cases involving serious or fatal foetal conditions. “I believe the government should consider applying for the funding but restrict its use to cases within this latter group. The funds could be used to support travel abroad for medical care, ensuring that women can access necessary services without breaching Maltese law.”

If the government does not apply, Stabile said, activists may try to access funding through projects led by other countries and act as intermediaries to support Maltese women.

“If the government chooses not to pursue this approach, it should be aware that we would consider applying for funding through initiatives led by other countries and potentially act as an intermediary to ensure that affected women still receive support,” she said. 

Nine countries wrote to the European Commission supporting the original proposal: Spain, Slovenia, France, Austria, Poland, Luxembourg, Estonia, Sweden and Finland.

In theory, any of these countries could create projects that allow Maltese NGOs to apply for funding. But this also adds another step for Maltese women seeking access to abortion care.

Meanwhile, the Life Network Foundation, which is opposed to abortion, cited serious concerns about the commission’s decision, arguing that allowing member states to draw on the European Social Fund (ESF) to facilitate abortion travel risks reshaping the original purpose of the fund.