NEIL DATTA, SECRETARYEUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY FORUM ON

POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT

SEMINAR OF THE FINNISH ALL-PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP ON POPULATION

AND DEVELOPMENT17 SEPTEMBER 2014

Sexual and Reproductiuve Health and Rights under Threat :

global implications of increasing European conservatism

Global implications of increasing European conservatism

Recent trends in Europe on SRHR:

Largely secularised continent

SRHR battle has been ‘won’ , now moving on to LGBT equality West Europe : SRHR = historic women’s rights gain on 1960s /

1970s East Europe: SRHR legacy of Soviet past

Overlapping and mutually influencing pan-European legal framework

Distinct increase in both East and West Europe of anti-choice / anti-SRHR activism

Questioning SRHR indirectly & ‘wedge issues’

1 2 3 4 5

Abortion for fœtal

abnormality / late abortion

Sex–selective abortion

Conscientious Objection

Out–dated abortion laws

Public funds involved in

human embryo destruction

90+% down syndrom

foetuses are aborted

100+million ‘missing girls’

Respect for religious freedom

Abortion laws dating from

Soviet period

Public funds for stem cell

research and abortion / not

EU competence

Council of Europe,

Spain, Poland, Germany, France

European Parliament,

Council of Europe,

UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia

Sweden, Norway,

Italy,

Council of Europe

FYR– Macedonia

Russia

East Europe

European Union,

European Parliament

Anti-SRHR initiatives

Grass roots mobilisation against abortion & LGBT rights – Spain, France, East Europe

Estonia: 35,000 sign petition to oppose legal recognition of same-sex couples (May 2013)

750,000 Sign Petition Opposing Same-Sex Marriage in Croatia (June 2013)

Socially conservative online organisation

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Where does it come from ? European Opposition: 3 families & 9 sub-

categories

Extremists Political Parties

Traditionalist Catholics

(incl . old Military -

Religious Orders)

Tradition, Family and

Property (TFP)

Vatican centred,

ecumenical initiatives

North European Catholics

Mainstream centre-right,

Catholic initiatives

Evangelical Protestants

Catholic mainstream

« Hard Right »Orthodox

3. « Ultras » 1. Continental

Catholic Mainstream

2. Ecumenical Traditionalists

110 out of 490 250 out of 490 130 out of 490

Impact on EU

Previous Parliament Estrela (SRHR) and Zuber (gender) reports – lost Lunacek report (LGBT) – won Spammed by 10.000 religious / ultra-conservative

emails

Recurring / on-going

Longer -term

EU budget – attempts to cut SRHR funding

Amendment textfor the EU Draft Budget presented in

2010, 2011 & 2012

Kemp-Kasten Amendment adopted in 1985 in US House of

Representatives

“Stresses that Community assistance should not be given to any authority, organization or programme which supports or participates in the management of an action which involves such human rights abuses as coercive abortion, involuntary sterilization or infanticide, especially where such actions apply their priorities though psychological, social, economic or legal pressure, thus finally implementing the specific Cairo ICPD prohibition on coercion or compulsion in sexual and reproductive health matters; calls on the Commission to present a report on the implementation of the EU’s external assistance covering this programme.”

“None of the funds made available in this bill nor any unobligated balances from prior appropriations may be made available to any organization or program which, as determined by the President of the United States, supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.”

One of Us

1,7 million signatures

Hearing in European Parliament April 2014

European Commision decision May 2014

Legal challenge July 2014

Could last another 2 years

“One of Us” asks the EU to end the financing of activities which presuppose the destruction of human embryos, in particular in the areas of research, development aid and public health.”

European Parliament 2014 – anti-choice pledge signatories

PartyN° MEP

signatories

% of party membership anti-

choice pledge signatory

EPP 38 17,19%

ECR 22 31,43%

ALDE 1 1,49%

EFD 2 4.17%Others & NI 17 32,69%

Total 80

Pro- / Anti- SRHR in the new EP

Pro-choiceEP

2014-19EP

2009-14

 Anti-choice

EP2014-19

EP 2009-14

S&D 191 196   EPP 221 274

ALDE 67 83   ECR 70 57

Greens 50 57   NI 52 33

GUE/NGL 52 35   EFD 48 31

Sub-total 360 371   Sub-total 391 395

% 47.94% 48.43%   % 52.06% 51.57%

Conclusions

Gains in SRHR are not as safe as we once throught – increasingly called into question

Increasingly co-ordinated (within Europe and globally, esp. with USA) , but not a unified movement

Sophisticated and legal anti)SRHR argumentation around: 1) Life 2) Family 3) Religious Freedom

Requires us to be vigilant and vocally assertive of pro-SRHR positions

Thank You!

Neil DattaSecretary

European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development23 Rue Montoyer

1000 BrusselsBelgium

www.epfweb.org