Belgium studies extending the possibility of abortion up to 14 weeks

Brussels.- The Belgian Minister of Justice, the liberal Annelies Verlinden, has finalized a proposal on the right to abortion that she will present to the coalition government and which includes extending the possibility of abortion in Belgium from 12 to 14 weeks, according to local media reports this Saturday.

The government coalition agreement led by right-wing nationalist Bart de Wever promised to amend the abortion law, which in 1990 established the legal limit for abortion at 12 weeks.

With her proposal, the minister aims to obtain the approval of both conservative and progressive parties that are part of the Government.

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In addition to extending the legal abortion period by two weeks, Verlinden also proposed creating an exception for women who are victims of rape and sexual abuse, who would be allowed to have an abortion up to 18 weeks.

“The question of whether a pregnancy is the result of non-consensual sexual intercourse must be evaluated by a team of doctors and psychologists. What we are not going to do is ask victims to first file a police report,” the minister explained to the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.

Finally, the liberal proposed reducing the mandatory waiting period between the first medical consultation and the intervention from six to two days.

In 2025, a national commission tasked with evaluating the implementation of the abortion law recommended extending the time limit for abortions, as well as eliminating the waiting period.

On the other hand, liberals also advocate for ensuring that more people are entitled to contraceptive reimbursement.