Poland’s Parliamentary Commission Recommends Decriminalization of Abortion
Recommendation marks a significant step toward reforming Poland's highly restrictive abortion policies.

Update: Despite this recommendation, Poland’s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, failed on July 12 to pass draft legislation to decriminalize abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and later under certain conditions. The bill was the first of four currently under consideration; two of the remaining bills, now under review by the commission, propose to legalize abortion on request. Read more here.
In an important first step toward ending the near-total prohibition on abortion in Poland, a parliamentary commission has recommended the full decriminalization of abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This recommendation is a significant move in efforts to align Poland’s abortion laws with European and international norms and ensure the health and rights of women and girls are protected.
Poland currently has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the European Union and is one of only two countries where abortion on request is not legal. The Polish Penal Code also imposes penalties of up to three years in prison for providing or assisting in abortions, with almost no exceptions.
This proposal is part of a broader discussion on abortion law reform, which the Polish parliament is expected to deliberate on later this year. The commission also recommended that the parliament decriminalize abortion in specific circumstances following the first 12 weeks.
“This development marks an important milestone in ongoing efforts to reform Poland’s highly restrictive abortion policies,” said Leah Hoctor, Vice President for Europe at the Center for Reproductive Rights, about the commission’s recommendation. “Criminal laws targeting those who aid abortion care harm women’s health and well-being and inflict immense suffering on thousands of Polish women and girls annually.”
Read more.
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The impact of Poland’s restrictive abortion laws has been severe, leading to the deaths of several women and causing widespread harm and suffering. The European Court of Human Rights issued several judgments against Poland because of its failures to guarantee access to abortion care in practice dating back to 2007. Poland has yet to comply with these judgments.
Hundreds of individuals have faced criminal investigations on the suspicion of aiding access to abortion, and doctors have become increasingly reluctant to provide legal abortion care, even in situations where a woman’s life and health are at risk.
Commission Established to Consider Abortion Reform Proposals
The special parliamentary commission was established in April this year to consider four separate legislative proposals for reform and is considering each one sequentially. The decriminalization proposal adopted on June 25, 2024, is the first in a series of considerations, which will include, among others, a discussion on legalizing abortion on request in the early stages of pregnancy.
Poland’s new prime minister, who took office in December 2023, pledged to take action to repeal the country’s near-total abortion ban and legalize abortion. At that time, the Center called on the new government to take urgent action to protect women’s health and rights during pregnancy and to repeal the abortion ban, which has caused the deaths of some women and harmed the health and wellbeing of thousands more.
World’s Abortion Laws Map
Explore abortion laws and policies in Poland and other countries across the globe.
The commission’s recommendation is an indication of potential progress towards more humane abortion laws in Poland.
“Of course, it is important to note that currently this is only a recommendation and it addresses just one of the problems with Polish abortion law,” added Hochtor. “In order for Polish law on abortion to align with standard European practice and international human rights law, the legalization of abortion on request is also necessary.”