Good news – a close-run thing for those awaiting birth but a victory nonetheless.

Ireland’s Pro Life campaign today welcomed the defeat of a European Parliament report on ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights’. The report, proposed by Portuguese MEP Edite Estrela included a number of recommendations that promoted the provision of abortion services including one which recommended that, “as a human rights and public health concern, high-quality abortion services should be made legal, safe, and accessible to all”.

The proposal was rejected in Strasbourg today and instead an alternative report proposed by the European People’s Party was adopted by 334 to 327 votes.

Responding to the result, Cora Sherlock of the Pro Life Campaign said:

“Today is International human rights day. It is fitting that a report which sought to attack the most basic human right – the right to life – was rejected. The Estrela report sought to turn on its head the right to life, ignored the mounting evidence that abortion hurts many women and undermined the concept of conscientious objection for medical practitioners.

“The scrapping of the report shows that grassroots efforts of pro-life people advocating for authentic human rights have an impact. Irish people joined many others right across Europe in contacting their MEP’s asking them to reject this report. The result is evidence that making our voices heard on behalf of those who have no voice can make a real difference”.

You can check how your MEP voted on the alternative resolution which resulted in the defeat of the Estrela Report here

You can access the Estrela Report here