EU bishops have voiced their opposition to recognising abortion rights within the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as a decisive vote approaches on 11th April, 2024, in Brussels.

The bishops made their statement through the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE).

In the statement, reported by Vatican News, the bishops said, “A human being, in any situation and at every stage of development, is always sacred and inviolable.” They expressed concern that recognising abortion as a fundamental right would undermine the principles protecting human rights.

The statement continued, “Yes to the promotion of women and the right to life; no to abortion and ideological imposition.

“The right to life...is the fundamental pillar of all other human rights.

"The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU cannot include rights that are not recognised by all and are divisive.”

The bishops cautioned against losing sight of the value of unborn life, warning that it would render human rights defence susceptible to fluctuating political agendas, echoing "dignitas infinita" in stating that such principles become “subject to the passing whims of the powers that be.”

This debate follows France's recent constitutional amendment to include abortion rights, sparking discussions at a European level about its place among fundamental EU rights.