The European Parliament voted to make abortion a fundamental right in the 27-nation bloc. The move is a reaction to the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
The European Parliament endorsed a resolution which calls for adding "Everyone has the right to safe and legal abortion" into the charter of fundamental rights within the EU.
The Thursday vote saw 324 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) vote in favor of the resolution, with 155 voting against and 38 absent from the assembly in Strasbourg, France.
Helene Fritzon, a Swedish MEP from the Socialists and Democrats parliamentary group, said that abortion was "not a question of politics, opinions or religion. It is, and always must remain, a person's free choice."
Why is the European Parliament moving now to support abortion access?
The text of the resolution condemned the decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 court ruling that gave women the right to a safe and legal abortion, known as Roe v. Wade.
In part, the resolution expresses "firm solidarity with and support for women and girls in the US, as well as to those involved in both the provision of and advocacy for the right and access to legal and safe abortion care in such challenging circumstances."
The EU's equality commissioner Helena Dalli said Monday when the debate on the resolution opened that what occurred in the US is "a reminder that hard-won rights cannot be taken as a given, anywhere."
Europe "should push forward, not backwards," she added.
"Backsliding is not an option for a continent that aims for winning the future."
Abortion not legal in all EU states
The European lawmakers also called on their counterparts in the US to protect a woman's right to an abortion at the federal level.
The vote Thursday was nonbinding, as all 27 EU members need to approve changes to the European charter of fundamental rights.
Only Malta has a total outright ban on abortions within the EU.
Poland has restrictions in place where it is only possible to obtain a safe and legal abortion in cases of rape, incest or the mother's life is in danger.
