Parliament has rejected a plan by the orthodox Christian party SGP that would have required women who wanted an abortion to register their reasons first.

The measure was backed by coalition party BBB and the ChristenUnie, but fell well short of the votes needed for a majority.

The Dutch society of abortion practitioners (NGvA) urged MPs not to support the plan, arguing that it would put off women who needed to terminate a pregnancy.

“Women are already worried they will get a lecture from us and be judged,” abortion doctor Monique Opheij told NRC.

“Just the responsibility and the obligation to cite a reason undermines people who want an abortion.”

“Nothing but damage”

Junior health minister Vincent Karremans, who is responsible for medical ethics, said the idea of an abortion register “gives women the sense that they have to justify their decision to the government. It will do nothing but damage.”

Another SGP motion, calling for an investigation into the impact of scrapping the compulsory five-day waiting period before a woman can have an abortion was passed with the support of coalition parties PVV, NSC and BBB, as well as the ChristenUnie, CDA, FVD and Denk.

SGP MP Diederik van Dijk said the research was necessary after the number of abortions increased from 31,000 in 2021 to more than 39,000 in 2023.

“This is about tens of thousands of little boys and girls who will never see the light of day, and the underlying problems,” he said.

A third motion tabled by NSC and CU, calling for an evaluation of the abortion law to be brought forward, was also passed.

Karremans said he was not against bringing forward the review, but said it should be broad-based and not require individual women to answer questions about their personal reasons for contacting an abortion clinic.