Anti-abortion NGO at risk of losing EU funding following investigation

A European Union funding agency has terminated financial support for a U.S.-based charity following revelations that the organization was spreading anti-abortion misinformation while receiving EU money for women’s reproductive health education programs.

The World Youth Alliance (WYA), which received €1.2 million in EU funding, was found to be in breach of its grant obligations after an investigation by openDemocracy last October exposed the organization’s dissemination of false claims about abortion, including unsupported assertions about health complications.

The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EECEA) conducted a review of the charity’s projects after Members of the European Parliament raised concerns about WYA’s activities. The review concluded that the charity’s educational content on sexual and reproductive health was “one-sided or biased” and that its public positions contradicted established EU human rights policies.

Among the projects under scrutiny was “Women’s Health Goes Digital,” for which the organization received €400,000 to develop training programs focused on women’s mental and reproductive health. The review found that WYA had failed to disclose key aspects of its approach to sexual health education during the application process, including its emphasis on abstinence, natural family planning, and the belief that life begins at conception.

Earlier this month, WYA announced on social media that the European Commission had “attacked” the organization and revoked its funding. The charity told openDemocracy it “categorically rejects” claims that it breached grant obligations to uphold EU values.

Neil Datta, executive director of the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights, welcomed the decision, telling openDemocracy: “The WYA has been getting away with misusing EU funding to misinform young people and women – it is high time this stops. The commission has finally said enough.”

While WYA presents itself as a “non-religious” NGO, the investigation found its teachings closely align with religious positions on reproductive health. The organization has explicitly stated that “abortion is not part of reproductive health” and that governments “should not bow to pressure to include abortion in reproductive health” services.

The investigation also uncovered troubling rhetoric from the organization’s leadership. In an interview, WYA founder Anna Halpine compared abortion to the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide. A white paper published by the charity claimed that abortion can cause infertility, a statement contradicted by medical authorities including the UK’s National Health Service, which confirms that pregnancy termination does not affect future fertility.

Following openDemocracy’s reporting, MEPs from Poland, Germany, Slovakia, and Sweden pressed the European Commission to clarify its position on the funding and urged a review of EU financial support for organizations opposed to reproductive freedom.

The case highlights the increasing scrutiny of how EU funds are allocated to non-governmental organizations, particularly those working in sensitive areas like reproductive health. It also underscores growing concerns about misinformation in public health education and the importance of ensuring that organizations receiving public funding adhere to evidence-based approaches and values consistent with official EU positions.

The funding termination represents a significant financial blow to WYA’s European operations, which are headquartered in Brussels. The organization will now need to seek alternative funding sources to continue its programs in the region.

The controversy occurs against a backdrop of intensifying debates about reproductive rights across Europe, where policies and public opinions vary widely between member states. The EU has generally supported comprehensive reproductive health education and services, though implementation differs substantially across the continent.