The National Council puts forward framework for terminations in Monaco
The bill will be put to the vote at the National Council's spring session © Conseil national
Marking International Women’s Rights Day, the National Council tabled a bill on March 7 to regulate voluntary pregnancy terminations in the Principality.
Bill number 267 aims to provide Monegasque residents with safe access to abortion services.
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The proposal provides for an exemption from the ban on abortion until the 12th week of pregnancy, with no need to provide grounds, and extends this period to 16 weeks for women whose pregnancies result from rape. A three-day cooling-off period will be introduced to ensure an informed choice, and the procedure will be covered financially by the health insurance bodies. The aim is to protect the women concerned, while ensuring terminations remain the exception.
Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo, Chair of the Commission for Family Rights and Equality and first signatory of the text, said in a statement: “This bill would allow the women concerned to exercise their freedom of choice and control over their own bodies, while being provided with support and protection.”
The bill will be put to the vote at the National Council’s spring session. President Thomas Brezzo called for a calm and considered debate, stating that “abortion is a sensitive subject, but we must move with the times and take the required measures.” The project is part of a wider debate, already raised at the National Council conference on 29 January, on terminations and assisted dying.