Welcome to the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception (ECEC)
Founded in 2012, ECEC works to expand knowledge about and access to Emergency Contraception (EC) in Europe, and promotes the standardization of EC service delivery to ensure equitable access across the region. Since 2020, ECEC also works globally to advance access to EC.
EC is the only contraceptive method that can be used after sex, and it provides women with an additional opportunity to prevent a pregnancy.
Through this website, we hope to contribute to generating and sharing knowledge of EC in Europe and globally. Your contributions are essential to helping us achieve this goal, and we encourage you to share EC information about your country by writing to us at ecec [at] eeirh [dot] org.
Go directly to country-by-country information on EC access
Go directly to the online EC counseling tool (The EC wheel)
Latest News
Costa Rica: Proposed amendments could remove emergency contraception from services for sexual violence survivors
November 2026. The Committee on Women’s Affairs of Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly is reviewing a bill that seeks to give legal status to the existing 72-hour inter-institutional protocol for the comprehensive response to survivors of sexual violence. The protocol establishes a coordinated rapid response involving medical, psychological and judicial services and the the proposed legislation…
Switzerland: IENK updates recommendations on oral emergency contraception
October 2026. In May 2026, the Swiss Interprofessional Expert Group on Emergency Contraception (IENK) updated its recommendations for the provision of oral emergency contraception (EC) incorporating the latest scientific evidence. IENK develops guidelines and practical tools to standardise and improve counselling and provision of EC. Its resources support professionals working in pharmacies, medical facilities and…
Italy: New study examines use of emergency contraception
October 2026. A new study published in Epidemiologia & Prevenzione analyses trends in emergency contraception (EC) use in Italy between 2017 and 2023, and changes in access. In particular, the study examines the impact of the October 2020 decision by the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) to allow women under 18 to obtain EC pills with…