NEIL DATTA, SECRETARY EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY FORUM ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR OF THE FINNISH ALL-PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT 17 SEPTEMBER 2014 Sexual and Reproductiuve Health and Rights under Threat : global implications of increasing European conservatism

Global implications of increasing European conservatism Recent trends in Europe on SRHR:  Largely secularised continent  SRHR battle has been ‘won’, now moving on to LGBT equality  West Europe : SRHR = historic women’s rights gain on 1960s / 1970s  East Europe: SRHR legacy of Soviet past  Overlapping and mutually influencing pan-European legal framework  Distinct increase in both East and West Europe of anti-choice / anti- SRHR activism

Questioning SRHR indirectly & ‘wedge issues’ Abortion for fœtal abnormality / late abortion Sex–selective abortion Conscientious Objection Out–dated abortion laws Public funds involved in human embryo destruction 90+% down syndrom foetuses are aborted 100+million ‘missing girls’ Respect for religious freedom Abortion laws dating from Soviet period Public funds for stem cell research and abortion / not EU competence Council of Europe, Spain, Poland, Germany, France European Parliament, Council of Europe, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia Sweden, Norway, Italy, Council of Europe FYR– Macedonia Russia East Europe European Union, European Parliament

Anti-SRHR initiatives

Grass roots mobilisation against abortion & LGBT rights – Spain, France, East Europe Estonia: 35,000 sign petition to oppose legal recognition of same-sex couples (May 2013) 750,000 Sign Petition Opposing Same-Sex Marriage in Croatia (June 2013)

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Where does it come from ? European Opposition: 3 families & 9 sub-categories Extremists Political Parties Traditionalist Catholics (incl. old Military - Religious Orders ) Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) Vatican centred, ecumenical initiatives North European Catholics Mainstream centre-right, Catholic initiatives Evangelical Protestants Catholic mainstream « Hard Right » Orthodox 3. « Ultras » 1. Continental Catholic Mainstream 2. Ecumenical Traditionalists 110 out of out of out of 490

Impact on EU Previous Parliament  Estrela (SRHR) and Zuber (gender) reports – lost  Lunacek report (LGBT) – won  Spammed by religious / ultra-conservative s Recurring / on-going Longer -term

EU budget – attempts to cut SRHR funding Amendment text for the EU Draft Budget presented in 2010, 2011 & 2012 Kemp-Kasten Amendment adopted in 1985 in US House of Representatives “Stresses that Community assistance should not be given to any authority, organization or programme which supports or participates in the management of an action which involves such human rights abuses as coercive abortion, involuntary sterilization or infanticide, especially where such actions apply their priorities though psychological, social, economic or legal pressure, thus finally implementing the specific Cairo ICPD prohibition on coercion or compulsion in sexual and reproductive health matters; calls on the Commission to present a report on the implementation of the EU’s external assistance covering this programme.” “None of the funds made available in this bill nor any unobligated balances from prior appropriations may be made available to any organization or program which, as determined by the President of the United States, supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.”

One of Us 1,7 million signatures Hearing in European Parliament April 2014 European Commision decision May 2014 Legal challenge July 2014 Could last another 2 years “One of Us” asks the EU to end the financing of activities which presuppose the destruction of human embryos, in particular in the areas of research, development aid and public health.”

European Parliament 2014 – anti-choice pledge signatories Party N° MEP signatories % of party membership anti- choice pledge signatory EPP3817,19% ECR2231,43% ALDE11,49% EFD24.17% Others & NI1732,69% Total80

Pro- / Anti- SRHR in the new EP Pro-choice EP EP Anti-choice EP EP S&D EPP ALDE6783 ECR7057 Greens5057 NI5233 GUE/NGL5235 EFD4831 Sub-total Sub-total %47.94%48.43% %52.06%51.57%

Conclusions Gains in SRHR are not as safe as we once throught – increasingly called into question Increasingly co-ordinated (within Europe and globally, esp. with USA), but not a unified movement Sophisticated and legal anti)SRHR argumentation around: 1) Life 2) Family3) Religious Freedom Requires us to be vigilant and vocally assertive of pro-SRHR positions

Thank You! Neil Datta Secretary European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development 23 Rue Montoyer 1000 Brussels Belgium