This Wednesday Jan 14th 2009 the European Parliament will vote on a resolution which seeks to promote abortion and same-sex unions throughout the European Union. The resolution, authored by Giusto Catania, an Italian Communist MEP, calls upon EU member-states to guarantee access to "sexual and reproductive health and rights", a term which is often interpreted to include abortion on demand. The resolution also calls on EU member-states to recognise same-sex unions equally with (heterosexual) marriage. The full report can be read accessed here
This resolution relates to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights attached to the Lisbon Treaty which was rejected by Ireland because it was perceived as a threat both to the right to life of the unborn and to the family based on marriage. The Charter is therefore not legally binding and member states cannot be forced to use it. European Life network recently prepared a report on the threat posed by the Fundamental Rights Agency and its panel of “experts”, this can be accessed at http://www.europeanlifenetwork.org
The resolution should be rejected, because it threatens unborn children and repeats the usual calls by the pro-abortion lobby for more contraception, more sex education and more confidential advisory services. Provision of these so called “services”, however, does nothing to decrease the numbers of abortions, sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies, and may in fact serve to increase them.
The resolution should also be rejected because it is detrimental to the common good of society. It attacks the traditional family based on marriage of a man and woman, by seeking to impose upon EU member-states the recognition of same-sex unions.
We encourage readers to MEPs for your country and region, urging them to vote against the resolution on Wednesday. A full list of all MEP’s and their e-mail addresses can be accessed by following the links at
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members.do?language=en
specifically by clicking on your country and/or region on the coloured map.
