Netherlands health minister accused of trying to restrict abortions

Edith Schippers proposes to limit period of time a doctor can carry out the medical procedure

The Dutch health minister has proposed a restriction on termination of pregnancies (iStock)

The prescription of abortion pills without a special government licence could be made illegal in the Netherlands, in a change to the law which campaigners have called a violation of women's rights.

Edith Schippers delivered a letter to the Dutch parliament proposing to restrict the current abortion legislation, by heavily limiting the period of time in which doctors can carry out the medical procedure.

Schippers told ministers a pill which triggers miscarriage in the very early stages of pregnancy should be available through family doctors in Holland, according to Dutch News - but only under heavily regulated conditions that would include reporting every prescription to the health ministry.

The health minister wrote: “An amendment to [the Termination of Pregnancy Act] will be accompanied by intense parliamentary debate. Abortion is a sensitive medical-ethical issue that requires caution.

“This caution, however, also brings with it that if there are real reasons to change the law, then we should not let shrink by the sensitivity of the subject.”

Schippers confirmed any regulation of the time window in which pregnancies could be terminated would be monitored and regulated by a health body.

The organisation Women on Waves, which provides safe services to women from countries where abortion is illegal, believes the new legislative proposal is a violation of international women’s and human rights.

A spokeswoman from the charity told The Independent: “The proposed law change will mean that doctors will have to apply for a special license to provide the abortion pill for very early abortions (until 16 days after the missed menstrual period) if they do not have this license.

“At the moment doctors can legally provide very early abortions without a special license which was confirmed by Dutch courts and former governments many times and for the last time in 2006. This is the reason Women on Waves only provides these early abortions on board our ship.”

Abortion pills are currently available only at hospitals and specialised clinics, and according to Dutch News, Christian bodies are wary of extending that to family doctors.

Last year, similar moves were blocked in parliament by the smaller Christian parties, whose support is crucial to pass legislation in the country's upper house.

Abortion was fully legalised in the Netherlands on 1 November, 1984, allowing them to be carried out on demand until the 21st week of pregnancy.