The group of experts mandated to evaluate the law on abortion has submitted its report. After a year of work, these experts appointed by the rectors and rectors of the seven universities in the country at the request of Vivaldi have come out clearly in favor of a revision of the law on abortion. The experts recommend in particular the abolition of the legal waiting period of six days for women wishing to have an abortion. They also recommend removing the duty to inform each patient who requests a termination of pregnancy about adoption and about the different “possibilities of reception” of the unborn child.
In addition, the committee is in favor of abolishing the obligation to inform women before abortion of the rights, aid and advantages guaranteed by law to mothers and their children.
On the burning issue of extending the legal time limit for abortion, the experts are also unanimous.
“The scientific committee studied at length the requests for second-trimester abortions at the request of the pregnant woman, a delicate and fairly well-documented issue thanks to the specific registration by the abortion services of third countries. From this work emerges a consensus recommendation to extend the current maximum gestational limit to at least 18 weeks post-conception.”, he says. Some members want to push this limit up to 20 weeks post-conception.
The desire to revise the law on abortion has sparked fiery debates in parliamentary assemblies for three legislatures. Under the previous legislature, a dynamic had been set up in the Chamber but had resulted in a reform deemed disappointing by the associations on the ground. They hope that this latest report will quickly lead to a revision of the law.
“This is a unique report in the history of Belgium. Even the Catholic universities are in favor of it. The academics are clear: the law is no longer adapted to society”, comments Sylvie Lausberg, director of the studies department of the Secular Action Center. This fears, however, fears a new blockage of opponents to the extension of the deadline. “There will be opposition but the report is very clear. If the file is not put on the agenda of parliament, it is really problematic.”she says.
“The outcome remains uncertain. We will have to see what the CD&V decides to do with this report. The government agreement specifies that no vote can take place without consensus between the parties. I am not sure that the CD&V will accept to extend the legal period for aborting or to abolish the reflection period. The party will have to choose its side”, considers for her part the deputy Défi Sophie Rohonyi; “Democratically, it would be terrible not to succeed given that a majority of deputies are in favor of a change of law, as are the experts.”
Asked in our pages about the position of his party on abortion, Sammy Mahdi, the president of the CD&V declared this in July 2022: “The CD&V has a clear position on abortion. It is the one he held during discussions for the formation of the government. What needs to be done is to have thoughtful, academic, scientific work with a multitude of people from the medical sector (…) What I want to do is listen women, abortion clinics, gynecologists, specialists.” It remains to be seen how he intends to position himself now that the experts have submitted their report.