European Committee of Social Rights: Italy condemned for lack of abortion services provided by the National Health Service

The decision of the European Committee of Social Rights on the admissibility and the merits of the complaint Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL) v. Italy became public on 11 April 2016.

In its decision, the Committee unanimously had concluded that there was a violation of Article 11 of the European Social Charter (the right to health), read in conjunction with art. E (non discrimination clause). In particular, the Committee established that the lack of abortion services provided by the National Health Service and the highest number of objecting medical practitioners do not let women to enjoy abortion services.

The Committee had also concluded that there was a violation of Article 1(2) of the Charter (the right to work) and of the Article 26(2) (the right to dignity at work) on the grounds of the difference in treatment between objecting and non-objecting medical practitioners. The Committed observed that the doctors who are used to practice abortion services are de facto overloaded by recurring surgical operation and are obstruct to gain other training opportunities probably essential al to their career advancement.