French President Emmanuel Macron called on Wednesday for abortion to be added to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Pro-life groups reacted with dismay.

Speaking to members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Macron said that the rights charter, ratified in the year 2000, needed to be revised.

“Twenty years after the proclamation of our Charter of Fundamental Rights, which notably enshrined the abolition of the death penalty throughout the Union, I hope that we can update this charter, notably to be more explicit on environmental protection and the recognition of the right to abortion,” he said.

The French news channel BFM TV reported that Macron’s reference to abortion was applauded by lawmakers.

The EU charter recognises the right to life but does not mention abortion. It states that “Everyone has the right to life” and “No one shall be condemned to the death penalty, or executed.”

The European Parliament voted in June 2021 in favour of a report describing abortion as “essential healthcare” and seeking to redefine conscientious objection as a “denial of medical care.”

The report also declared that violations of “sexual and reproductive health and rights” are “a form of violence against women and girls.”