Mînzatu: Member States responsible for ensuring ESF+ abortion funding complies with national laws

Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu, in a written answer on 15 June 2026, told four conservative MEPs that the European Commission holds Member States primarily responsible for ensuring that European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) money spent on abortion-related services complies with national laws and EU principles. The answer, responding to a question from Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR), Aurelijus Veryga (ECR), Jadwiga Wiśniewska (ECR), and Margarita de la Pisa Carrión (PfE), clarifies that under the ESF+'s shared management system, national authorities must carry out verifications and audits to guarantee expenditure is legal and regular. Mînzatu stressed that the ESF+ legislative framework leaves eligibility rules to Member States, meaning they can define conditions for abortion care access and funding, as long as they respect EU legislation, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The answer contains no new concrete proposals, targets, or deadlines, instead reiterating existing legal frameworks and the division of responsibilities between the Commission and Member States.

The policy orientation reaffirms the Commission's stance that abortion funding decisions rest with national authorities, within EU legal boundaries. No immediate institutional follow-up is expected, as the answer does not signal any upcoming legislative or monitoring initiatives.