Infertility, the principal medical cause of declining birth rates
1.4.2026
Priority question for written answer P-001350/2026
to the Commission
Rule 144
Gabriela Firea (S&D)
The European Union is facing a demographic decline and a sharp drop in birth rates, with the number of births continuing to decline, including in Romania. The total fertility rate in Europe has fallen from 1.51 children per woman in 2020 to around 1.34 in 2024. In Romania the situation is much more worrying as, for the same period, data show a decrease from 1.80 children per woman to around 1.39.
Demographic developments and falling birth rates pose a major challenge to economic and social sustainability. Moreover, unequal access to reproductive health services, including infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilisation, is limited due to high costs and lack of adequate funding mechanisms.
Against this backdrop:
- 1.How does the Commission intend to support Member States in curtailing demographic decline and ensuring access to infertility treatments?
- 2.What specific funding instruments, in particular under Horizon Europe, EU4Health, the European Social Fund Plus or other existing mechanisms, can be activated immediately to support Member States with a view to providing access to these treatments?
- 3.How does the Commission intend to prioritise access to reproductive health services, including infertility treatments, in the upcoming MFF 2028-2034?
Submitted: 1.4.2026