EU looks to fill abortion funding gap

LONDON, England -- The European Union may provide funding for family planning programmes which the new U.S. administration has banned.

One of George W. Bush's first acts on becoming president was to end federal funding for international agencies which support abortion.

The 'Mexico City Policy' bans financial support for organisations if any of their funding, even if it does not come from the U.S., is spent on abortion.

It means organisations that also provide other services, including family planning, education and health facilities, are affected.

"The president does not support using taxpayer funds to provide abortions," White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said.

The policy was first introduced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 but rescinded by President Bill Clinton in 1993.

The decision angered senior EU officials, including Development Commissioner Poul Nielson.

At an international gathering in London on Monday to discuss foreign aid, he said: "Strengthening the work of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and the International Planned Parenthood Association is definitely part of the solution, not part of the problem.

"We will if necessary fill the deficiency."

The Bush decision has already been criticised by other EU officials.

Anna Diamantopoulou, EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, said she was disappointed by the move and feared it "may be a signal of things to come."

"Why is it so easy at a single stroke to put back the achievements in the area of equality of 20 years?" she said, speaking last week at a meeting in Sweden of EU ministers for gender equality.

Diamantopoulou urged Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson to raise the issue at a meeting with Bush planned for June. Sweden currently holds the EU presidency.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) predicted programmes to prevent unplanned pregnancies will suffer the most from the U.S. policy as abortion services have been ineligible for U.S. funds for decades.

"To place restrictions on family planning choices disempowers women and men and undermines their efforts to extricate themselves from poverty," IPPF Director General Ingar Brueggemann has said.

"The Mexico City policy has cost many lives and actually increased to a large degree the number of unintended pregnancies and illegal, unsafe abortions causing death and disability."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Bush reinstates ban on international family planning funds
January 22, 2001
EU chief attacks Bush on abortion cash
January 23, 2001

International Planned Parenthood Federation
European Union
Pro-Life
The White House

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