On 16 April 2008 the resolution on legal abortion was adopted by 102 votes to 69, after a four-hour debate and 72 amendments.
Over 500 lawmakers from 47 countries in Europe, gathered in Strasbourg to debate and vote upon a historic report aiming to de-criminalize abortion across the continent.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), from the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, representing 800 million Europeans, met to discuss a report proposed by Austrian Socialist Member of Parliament, Hon. Gisela Wurm, called "Access to Safe and Legal Abortion in Europe".
The author of the report, speaking on behalf of the Equality Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly, which adopted the report in Committee by an overwhelming majority of 21 in favour, 3 against and 1 abstention, invited the 47 member states of the Council of Europe to:
- decriminalise abortion, if they have not already done so
- guarantee women's effective exercise of their right to abortion
- allow women freedom of choice and offer the conditions of a free and enlightened choice
- ensure that women and men have access to contraception at a reasonable cost, of a suitable nature for them, and chosen by them
The parliamentarians said that a total ban did not result in fewer abortions, leading instead to traumatic clandestine, unsafe abortions and women having to travel to neighbouring countries where abortion is legal.
The law permits abortion to save the life of the mother in practically all Council of Europe member states, the Assembly pointed out.
In the majority of European countries it is also permitted for other reasons or within a certain timeframe, with the exception of Andorra, Ireland, Malta, Monaco and Poland, according to report author Gisela Wurm.
In the resolution the parliamentarians said medical and psychological care, as well as suitable financial cover, should be offered to women seeking abortions, and conditions which restricted access to safe abortion should be lifted.
They also called for school pupils to receive “compulsory age-appropriate, gender-sensitive education on sex and relationships” in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies, and therefore abortions.