The Polish law of 7 January 1993 protects the life of unborn children and/or foetuses. The number of abortions in that applicant country has declined sharply: from more than 100 000 per year until 1988 to a few hundred in recent years. Representatives of the Presidency and of the EP have criticised the Polish law prohibiting abortion. As penal law is not subject to the ‘acquis’, does such a law have any relevance in negotiations with applicant countries, and would it play a role in the accession process?

Is the Council planning to include the issue of abortion law in the EU information campaign being carried out in Poland to prepare that country for membership or in any activity with that in mind?