Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe European Commission has told member states they can use existing EU funding to pay for safe abortions, after a citizens' initiative attracted 1.1 million signatures to help women without access to safe and legal terminations.
The My Voice, My Choice group behind the initiative has hailed the decision as a victory for women in Europe and a political commitment to women's rights.
But the Commission stopped short of creating any new funding facility to enable women in areas of Europe that do not provide abortions to travel to parts that do.
Health policy in the EU is a national competence, but by proposing the existing "European Social Fund Plus" the Commission says each member state can decide how they use it.
European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib said on Thursday that almost 500,000 unsafe abortions took place in Europe every year and "safety and freedom must never depend on your postcode and income".
Abortion is legal in most EU countries, but some states such as Malta and Poland have almost complete bans and in Italy, where abortion has been legal since 1978, access to safe termination varies from one region to another.
That means that women often travel within their own country or to another EU member state to secure safe abortions.
Although campaigners acknowledged that no new legal instrument had been created to fund safe abortions, My Voice, My Choice co-ordinator Nika Kovač said the Commission had outlined a "concrete pathway" for future care.
Anti-abortion groups were critical of the move, arguing it went against Christian values.
The Dutch Reformed party SGP said it was disappointed, and MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen adding that it was sad the Commission had been swayed by the "massive campaign and lobbying" of My Voice, My Choice.
Polish legal advocacy group Ordo Iuris cast doubt on the organisations behind My Voice My Choice, and said many had received EU funding.
The Commission said that the fund had not been used for safe abortions but it was already in place and did not need to wait for future budget negotiations.
In theory a woman who travels to one member state for a termination could have her transport, accommodation, costs and scans paid for by the country involved with money from the existing fund.
The same could also apply for a woman in a rural area needing to travel to another region in her own country.
Nika Kovač called on the Commission to provide member states with clear instructions on how they could use the EU funds.
European Citizens' Initiatives were brought in by the EU 14 years ago to urge the EU's executive body, the Commission, to come up with legal action if campaigners can summon a million signatures in at least seven countries.
