Belgium has given the go-ahead to over-the-counter sale of morning-after pills as an effort to put a brake to the rising number of abortions among women under the age of 20, local press reported on Friday.

The free sale of the contraceptive drug will start on June 10, making Belgium the second country after Britain to make the contraceptive drug available without prescription.

Belgian Health Minister Magda Alvoet said that she had made the decision following a recommendation by the medication committee of the country's Public Health Ministry.

"Seeing the growing number of terminations of pregnancies among women of less than 20 years was also taken into account in enacting this emergency solution," Alvoet was quoted as saying.

"Greater availability of the emergency pill will help remove existing obstacles for obtaining this emergency contraception," Alvoet added.

The morning-after pill, known as Norlevo in Belgium, is a product that is designed to stop pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of having sex.

In Belgium, both prescription and non-prescription drugs can only be bought from pharmacists.

The Belgian health minister said that pharmacists selling the drug over-the-counter should dispense information on contraception.