STRAUSBOURG, May 24, 2002 (LSN.ca) – LifeSite News has learned that the European Parliament vote on the document to push abortion on member states was to be held this month but was delayed until June thanks in part to pro-life efforts. As LifeSite reported yesterday, the document was explicit in its calls to have states which apply for membership accept its pro-abortion stance. A World Youth Alliance European representative provided information on the background to the document. On July 12, 2001 Mrs van Lancker, a Belgian MEP, was appointed as rapporteur of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities. She wrote a motion for a resolution known as the “van Lancker report.” The van Lancker report specifically mentions the need for reproductive health care and services (read abortion) in the Eastern European accession countries, Ireland, and Portugal.
In mid April the report came to the attention of the public. Pro-life young people, especially from Eastern Europe, bombarded the EPP with letters and faxes objecting to the content of the report. The EPP then met to discuss the van Lancker report, and it is now bogged down with 165 amendments.
A vote on the report was supposed to take place in the Parliament on Tuesday but has been postponed until June. It will first be voted on in the committee, and later in the plenary in Strausbourg. See related LifeSite coverage: EU PARLIAMENT DEBATES DOCUMENT TO PUSH EU MEMBERS TO LEGALIZE ABORTION https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/may/02052301.html