Poland’s Parliamentary Commission Recommends Decriminalization of Abortion

GENEVA, 25.06.2024 – The Center for Reproductive Rights welcomes today’s landmark recommendation by a Polish parliamentary commission in favour of the decriminalization of abortion in Poland. This recommendation signals an important first step 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.

The commission has advised the Polish parliament to fully decriminalize abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and later in specific situations. The Polish parliament is expected to consider this proposal from the commission, alongside other recommendations on abortion law reform, later this year.

“Today’s development marks an important milestone in ongoing efforts to reform Poland’s highly restrictive abortion law. Laws criminalizing those who assist and support individuals seeking abortion care harm women’s health and wellbeing and cause immense suffering to thousands of women and girls in Poland each year,” said Leah Hoctor, Vice President for Europe at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “Polish abortion law is completely out of step with common practice in the rest of Europe, international human rights law and public health standards. Legalizing abortion on request and decriminalizing those who assist with abortion care is necessary to end human rights violations and protect women’s health and wellbeing.”

Poland currently has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the EU, and is one of only two countries where abortion on request is not legal. As a result, several women have died and many others have experienced significant harm and suffering. Additionally, under its Penal Code, performing or assisting with abortion in Poland is punishable by up to three years of imprisonment, with almost no exceptions. Hundreds of individuals have faced criminal investigations on the suspicion of aiding access to abortion care, and doctors have become increasingly reluctant to provide legal abortion care, even in situations where a woman’s life and health are at risk.

A special parliamentary commission was established in April this year to consider four separate legislative proposals for reform and is considering each one sequentially. The first of these proposals concerning decriminalization of abortion was adopted by the commission today. Future deliberations will include, among others, a proposal to legalize abortion on request in early pregnancy.

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

Mihela Kralj, Senior Communications Manager for Europe, Center for Reproductive Rights: [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

Poland has one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws and permits abortion only in cases of risk to the life or health of a pregnant woman, or if a pregnancy results from rape. However, even in those exceptional cases obtaining a legal abortion is almost impossible in practice. Each year, thousands of women are forced to seek extra-legal abortion in Poland by obtaining abortion medication or traveling abroad, exposing them to significant harm and suffering.

International human rights bodies have repeatedly condemned the human rights violations being caused by Poland’s abortion laws and have called for reform of those laws. The European Court of Human Rights has issued several judgments against Poland for failing to guarantee access to abortion care in practice. Poland has yet to comply with these judgments.

In April 2024, the Polish Sejm established a special parliamentary commission comprised of members of parliament, to review four distinct legislative reform proposals. The commission is tasked with issuing recommendations to the Sejm on these proposals and is considering each one in sequence. The recommendation that was voted on by the commission today concerned only the proposal to decriminalize abortion. In its future sessions, the commission will consider a proposal to legalize abortion on request during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The four bills were tabled in the Sejm by the governmental coalition parties in late 2023 and early 2024.

Read more:

• Polish Government Has a Momentous Opportunity to End Reproductive Rights Violations and Protect Women’s Health During Pregnancy, December 2023, Center for Reproductive Rights
• Center Continues Work to Ensure Access to Lawful Abortion Care in Poland, June 2023, Center for Reproductive Rights
• Refugees from Ukraine Still Cut Off from Reproductive Health Care Two Years into War, February 2024, Center for Reproductive Rights 
• European Abortion Laws: A Comparative Overview, September 2023, Center for Reproductive Rights