Poland's Sejm commission to resume work on abortion legislation

The Polish Sejm's extraordinary commission for abortion projects is set to reconvene during the upcoming parliamentary session scheduled for September 15–18. This marks the first meeting of the commission since July 2024.

According to reports, the commission will prioritize a proposal from the Polish People's Party (PSL) and Poland 2050. This project aims to restore the so-called ‘abortion compromise,’ which would revert legal standards to those in place between 1993 and 2020. Under those rules, abortion was legal in three specific circumstances: when the pregnancy threatened the woman's life or health, when there was a severe and irreversible fetal abnormality, or in cases of criminal activity.

Other pending legislation includes two proposals allowing abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy upon a woman's request, and a proposal from The Left regarding the decriminalization of abortion. The legislative push follows a 2020 Constitutional Tribunal ruling that struck down provisions allowing abortion in cases of fetal abnormalities.