European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights (EPF) Rue Montoyer 23 1000 Brussels Belgium

19 October 2020

Dear Madam von der Leyen, President of the European Commission,

As Members of Parliaments from across the political spectrum, we are writing to you to draw your attention to the deep concern we have regarding the situation in Poland with regards to women’s rights, access to health care and the rule of law.

On 22 October, the “Constitutional Tribunal” is expected to issue a ruling which would likely ban abortion in the case of fatal foetal anomaly (ie. that the foetus would not be viable). [1] The origin of this ruling is an initiative of a group of parliamentarians within the ruling PiS party and the “Constitutional Tribunal” in question is itself the subject of rule of law investigations under Article 7 of the EU Treaties. [2]

It thus becomes clear that the infringement of the rule of law is no longer a matter of the technical functioning of the country’s judiciary system but in fact being used as a weapon to deprive certain categories of people, in this first case women, of fundamental rights to health care and human dignity.

Women considering abortion for the anomaly of their foetus already often face an agonising situation. Each situation is unique and how to proceed in terms of course of medical treatment and emotional support for the women and families should be a private matter without the interference of ideologically motivated politicians or courts of contested legitimacy.

We, therefore, enclose our letter to the relevant Polish authorities and request that you address this in the work of the European Commission regarding Poland’s adherence to the rule of law.

Yours faithfully.

Members of Parliaments,

1. Albane Gaillot, MP, France 2. Alfred Mockel, MP, Belgium 3. Algirdas Sysas, MP, Lithuania 4. Ali Esbati, MP, Sweden 5. Alice-Mary Higgins, Senator, Ireland 6. Aurora Madaula i Giménez, MP, Spain 7. Azadeh Rojhan, MP, Sweden 8. Barbara Creemers, MP, Belgium 9. , MP, 10. Birgitte Bergman, MP, Denmark 11. Bojan Glavašević, MP, Croatia 12. Carina Ohlsson, MP, Sweden 13. Céline Vara, Senator, MP, Switzerland 14. Chapelier Annie, MP, France 15. Chiara Gribaudo, MP, Italy 16. Ciczie Weidby, MP, Sweden 17. Claire Hugon, MP, Belgium 18. Daniel Riazat, MP, Sweden 19. Delporte Valérie, MP, Belgium 20. Doreen E Massey, Baroness, UK 21. Doris Barnett, MP, Germany 22. Dovilė Šakalienė, MP, Lithuania 23. Edite Estrela, MP, Portugal 24. Elisabeth Falkhaven, MP, Sweden 25. Elizabeth Barker, Baroness, UK 26. Erin McGreehan, Senator, Ireland 27. Eva Biaudet, MP, Finland 28. Fabian Molina, MP, Switzerland 29. Faika El-Nagashi, MP, Austria 30. Florian-Dorel Bodog, Senator, Romania 31. Fourat Ben chikha, Senator, Belgium 32. Franziska Roth, MP, Switzerland 33. Greet Daems, MP, Belgium 34. Guillaume Defossé, MP, Belgium 35. Guillaume Gouffier-Cha, MP, France 36. Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, MEP, France 37. Håkan Svenneling, MP, Sweden 38. Hanna Sarkkinen, MP, Finland 39. Hélène Ryckmans, Senator, Belgium 40. Henrike Brandstoetter, MP, Austria 41. Hilde Vautmans, MEP, Belgium 42. Ingrid Parmentier, MP, Belgium 43. Iñigo, Iturrate, MP, Spain 44. Inka Hopsu, MP, Finland 45. Irène Tolleret, MEP, France 46. Ivana Bacik, Senator, Ireland 47. Janine Alm Ericson, MP, Sweden 48. Jennifer Whitmore, MP, Ireland 49. Jenny Tonge Dr, Baroness, UK 50. Jens Holm, MP, Sweden 51. Jessica Thunander, MP, Sweden 52. Jessica Wetterling, MP, Sweden 53. Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, MP, Poland 54. John McGahon, Senator, Ireland 55. John Weinerhall, MP, Sweden 56. Jon Thorbjörnson, MP, Sweden 57. Joseba Díez Antxustegi, MP, Spain 58. Josephine Ortleb, MP, Germany 59. , MP, Denmark 60. Karin Rågsjö, MP, Sweden 61. Katarina Ammitzbøll, MP, Denmark 62. Kate Osamor, MP, UK 63. Katharina Prelicz-Huber, MP, Switzerland 64. Katia Segers, Senator, Belgium 65. Laura Boldrini, MP, Italy 66. Laura Pérez Borinaga, MP, Spain 67. Laurence Hennuy, MP, Belgium 68. Laurence Fehlmann Rielle, MP, Switzerland 69. Léonore Porchet, MP, Switzerland 70. Lia Quartapelle Procopio, MP, Italy 71. Linda Snecker, MP, Sweden 72. Lisa Mazzone, Senator, Switzerland 73. Lorentz Tovatt, MP, Sweden 74. Lotta Johnsson Fornarve, MP, Sweden 75. Maitane Ipiñazar, MEP, Spain 76. Malcolm Jallow, MP, Sweden 77. Malin Björk, MEP, Sweden 78. Margreet De Boer, Senator, Netherlands 79. Marie Sherlock, Senator, Ireland 80. Marie-George Buffet, MP, France 81. Martina Munz, MP, Switzerland 82. Meira Hot, MP, Slovenia 83. Melissa Depraetere, MP, Belgium 84. Merja Kyllönen, MP, Finland 85. , MEP, Denmark 86. Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, MEP, Finland 87. Monika Vana, MEP, Austria 88. Nadia, Moscufo, MP, Belgium 89. Oihana Etxebarrieta Legrand, MP, Spain 90. Petra Bayr, MP, Austria 91. Raphael GERARD, MP, France 92. , MP, Denmark 93. Laurence Rossignol, MP, France 94. Saara Hyrkkö, MP, Finland 95. Sànchez Dipp, MP, Catalunya 96. Sara Heikkinen Breitholtz, MP, Sweden 97. Sarah Champion, MP, UK 98. Satu Hassi, MP, Finland 99. Séverine de Laveleye, MP, Belgium 100. Simon Moutquin, MP, Belgium 101. Simonas Gentvilas, MP, Lithuania 102. Sofie Merckx, MP, Belgium 103. Søren Søndergaard, MP, Denmark 104. Susana Sumelzi, MP, Spain 105. Susanne Zimmer, MP, Denmark 106. Tamara Funiciello, MP, Switzerland 107. Tarja Filatov, MP, Finland 108. Terry Reintke, MEP, Germany 109. Tessa Blackstone Baroness, UK 110. Tonia Antoniazzi, MP, UK 111. Ulla Tørnæs, MP, Denmark 112. Ulle Schauws, MP, Germany 113. Valentine Python, Senator, Switzerland 114. Valeria Fedeli, Senator, Italy 115. Valeria Valente, Senator, Italy 116. Valérie Piller Carrard, MP, Switzerland 117. Vasiliki Tsouplaki, MP, Sweden 118. Vera Tax, MEP, Netherlands 119. Virendra Sharma, MP, UK 120. Yasmine Posio, MP, Sweden 121. Yvonne Feri, MP, Switzerland

[1] Polish MPs Motion to the Constitutional Tribunal and the agenda https://trybunal.gov.pl/postepowanie-i-orzeczenia/wokanda/art/11253-planowanie-rodziny- ochrona-plodu-ludzkiego-i-warunki-dopuszczalnosci-przerywania-ciazy, accessed: 09/10/2020.

[2] European Commission, Rule of Law: European Commission acts to defend judicial independence in Poland, https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_17_5367, accessed: 09/10/2020.