The Croatian parliament will debate four items on its agenda on Wednesday, including a bill sponsored by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) regarding medically assisted pregnancy termination procedures, which would make abortions in Croatia legal, free and accessible.

The bill regulates the right of women to freely decide on giving birth or to abortion, the right of minors and disabled women to abortion, and the period in which an abortion can be conducted.

The SDP has proposed that the period in which women can have an abortion be increased from 10 to 12 weeks from conception and that minors aged from 16 to 18 be allowed to have an abortion without their parents’ permission.

The SDP also proposes that the cost of an abortion, sterilisation and contraception should be fully covered by the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO).