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EU nations compelled to fund Third World abortions
Westminster, 21 January 2003--The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has expressed disappointment and grave concern after the European parliament's development committee approved a report which could lead to EU money being used to fund abortions in developing world countries. The development committee voted almost unanimously this afternoon
in favour of the Sandbæk report, which lays the basis for a new
regulation governing EU overseas aid policy for the next five years.
The size of the majority in favour of the report means that, when the
full parliament votes on the report next month, MEPs will be unable to
pass any amendments or even debate it.
John Smeaton, national director of SPUC, said: "On account of
the fact that EU regulations take precedence over national law, all EU
member states will now be obliged to fund abortions overseas through
their EU contributions. This includes Ireland, which has a pro-life
constitution, as well as the pro-life accession countries such as Malta
and Poland when they become full EU members. We are deeply concerned by
this development because abortion law is not within the competence of
the European Union, but a pro-abortion agenda is being pushed through
without proper democratic scrutiny or informed debate.
"The main author of the report, Danish MEP Ulla Sandbæk, told
an Irish radio station in November that the new regulation would mean
that abortions would be legally funded by the EU. We at SPUC will do
all we can to alert people to this fact which, if it is allowed to
stand, will mean that the EU will become one of the foremost promoters
of a pro-abortion culture of death around the world.
"We are also urging all concerned individuals in EU countries to contact their MEPs urgently and ask them to vote against the regulation in its entirety when it comes before the full parliament next month. They should also contact their national governments to urge ministers to do all they can within the decision-making framework of the EU, particularly in the council of ministers, to amend this deplorable proposal."
