Endeavour Forum’s US-based chief administrative officer, Denise Mountenay, has written this response to a proposal by the EU to fund the travel expenses of women wishing to procure an abortion in a foreign country. The “My Voice My Choice” campaign aims to accommodate women whose own countries limit access to abortion.
Pro-life legal expert, Nicolas Bauer, calls the initiative, “a new step in the pro-abortion lobby’s strategy to promote abortion through supranational institutions”, giving the following as examples of how the new law would work: “… a French woman who is 22 weeks pregnant, and therefore outside the legal time limit for an abortion, could travel to the Netherlands and have an abortion there with EU funding. A Polish woman whose child has Down syndrome and who wishes to have an abortion for this reason could travel to France to do so, with EU funding.”
Concerns Regarding the “My Voice My Choice” Initiative and Its Implications for EU Competence & Women’s Health & Human Rights
by Denise Mountenay
Dear President of the European Commission & ALL Commissioners:
I am writing to respectfully express my deep concern regarding the upcoming decision of the European Commission concerning the “My Voice My Choice” initiative. As proposed, this initiative would enable EU‑funded travel for women seeking abortions in Member States with more permissive laws, effectively allowing individuals to bypass the legal safeguards, gestational limits, and ethical frameworks established by their own countries.
This raises significant concerns regarding EU competence, Member State sovereignty, and the ethical diversity protected within the Union. Abortion legislation has always been the responsibility of Member States, reflecting their constitutional, cultural, and moral values. The EU has no competence in this area, yet it does have competence to support motherhood, families, and social protection—areas that deserve strengthening rather than displacement.
I also write from personal experience. As a former abortion patient, I—like many young pregnant women—was misinformed, deceived, and pressured into undergoing abortions. My experience is not isolated. A recent study by David Reardon et al. documents the widespread reality of women being pressured into abortions they do not truly want. This is a serious women’s‑rights issue that deserves recognition.
There is also a substantial body of scientific literature raising concerns about the health consequences of induced abortion. More than 60 published studies in peer‑reviewed medical journals have identified a statistical association between induced abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer. Numerous studies document cervical and uterine trauma, contributing to preterm birth in subsequent wanted children. Additionally, dozens of studies report significant mental‑health impacts, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and trauma‑related symptoms. A Finnish government study found that women who undergo abortions are six times more likely to attempt or commit suicide compared to women who give birth.
For reference, I encourage you to review the research compiled at:
www.afterabortion.org
www.bcpinstitute.org
Beyond the medical concerns, induced abortion raises profound human‑rights questions. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that “Everyone has the inherent right to life.” Modern embryology is clear that human life begins at conception, when a genetically complete human organism comes into existence. By 3–4 weeks, the embryonic heart is beating. By 8–9 weeks, the developing child has arms, legs, fingers, toes, and rapidly forming organs. These are biological facts, not matters of ideology.
To permit the deliberate ending of these young lives simply because they are small, dependent, or temporarily residing in their mother’s womb is deeply troubling. Their size or location does not diminish their humanity. Nor should the economic interests of those who profit from abortion override the rights of the most vulnerable. These children have no voice; many of us who have lived through abortion and lost our children now speak on their behalf.
Rather than facilitating the destruction of unborn children across borders, the European Union should prioritize support for pregnant women, including financial, medical, and social assistance, and ensure that fathers are held responsible for their children. Strengthening support systems would uphold both women’s dignity and the rights of their children, without undermining Member State sovereignty or ethical diversity.
I respectfully urge the Commission to:
- Recognize that abortion remains outside EU competence
- Uphold the principle of subsidiarity
- Protect the sovereign right of each Member State to determine its own laws
- Prioritize policies that support women, motherhood, and families
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I trust that the Commission will carefully consider the legal, ethical, and social implications before taking any action. We look forward to your reply.
Respectfully,
Denise Mountenay
NGO-Endeavour Forum Inc. In Consultative Status with ECOSOC
Chief Administrative Officer
Denise Mountenay is the chief administrative officer of the Endeavour Forum Inc. and is based in Canada. Since 2009, Denise has been leading teams into the United Nations headquarters in New York City to participate at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). She has also represented Endeavour Forum at the UN headquarters in Geneva as a voice for the voiceless. Denise is founder of Together for Life and pursues pro-life film-making with Advancing Truth Alliance