Progressief Nederland (PRO) is once again seeking to remove abortion from criminal law. On Monday, International Safe Abortion Day, MP Lisa Vliegenthart will submit a legislative amendment to achieve that goal.
Vliegenthart’s proposal builds on an earlier initiative by former MP Corinne Ellemeet. According to the PRO lawmaker, abortion should be treated as a form of healthcare and therefore should not be included in the Criminal Code.
The proposal focuses on Article 296 of the Criminal Code. Under the current law, a person who performs an abortion is punishable unless the procedure takes place in a specialised clinic or hospital. PRO wants the article removed altogether.
The House of Representatives previously debated the issue in May 2023, following a citizens’ initiative by BNNVARA and the Humanist Association calling for the decriminalisation of abortion. At the time, the VVD, CDA, Christian Union (CU), and SGP were among the parties that opposed the proposal. D66, GroenLinks, the Labour Party (PvdA), SP, the Party for the Animals, and Volt supported it. GroenLinks and PvdA have since merged to form Progressief Nederland.
In an explanatory note, Vliegenthart said her proposal would not affect the standards of care in abortion services.
“The existing quality requirements remain in place. The difference is that from now on, we will treat abortion for what it is: care,” she said.
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