EU money can be used for cross-border abortion access, the European Commission has decided.

This means women in countries with strong pro-life laws, such as Malta and Poland, can travel to States with permissive policies to access abortion paid for by EU money.

The Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe condemned the decision saying the initiative is, in fact, an instrument of political pressure on Member States, which uses the European Social Fund+ to bypass  national legislations on abortion.

“Believing that an ideology can be imposed from above is an approach that openly conflicts with the principle of subsidiarity, the foundation of the European legal system”.

The move marks an unusual step, as healthcare policy is typically determined at a national level.

On Thursday, the Commission confirmed member states can use the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), to pay the costs of providing access to abortion for women who are barred from doing so in their home country.

However, the Commission stopped short of creating a new funding mechanism, which was requested by the European Parliament in a non-binding resolution adopted in December.

The Commission’s decision came in response to a call made by the citizens’ initiative “My Voice, My Choice” for the creation of an EU solidarity mechanism to guarantee safe and affordable access to abortion for all women.