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"EUROPEAN COUNTRIES FORCED TO FUND ABORTION THROUGH EU CONTRIBUTIONS"

"deeply concerned" SPUC calls for urgent counteraction by European citizens

BRUSSELS, January 21, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Development Committee of the European Parliament adopted nearly unanimously today the Sandbaek Report on "Reproductive and sexual health and rights in developing countries". Due to the overwhelming support for the report, the text will be submitted to the Parliament's plenary session for voting without debate or amendment.

The report opens the possibility of EU funding of abortions from its developmental aid budget. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has expressed disappointment and grave concern at the move.

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."

See the Euro-Fam coverage at:
http://www.euro-fam.org/spip/article.php3?id_article=115

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