Importance of consent-based rape legislation in the EU

Adopted by a large majority

Parliament adopted the text as its official position.

For: 447
Against: 160
Abstained: 43

roll-call vote at 14:13 · 69% of votes cast in favour

Committee report by Evin Incir, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus · Report A-10-2026-0047

AI:What this decision does

Parliament adopted a resolution on the importance of consent-based rape legislation in the EU, calling for legal definitions of rape to centre on the absence of consent.§1: source passage in the text The resolution highlights that most rapes are committed by known persons and that victims may freeze, so lack of physical resistance does not imply consent.§2: source passage in the text It urges member states to align their laws with the Istanbul Convention and to train justice professionals in trauma-informed approaches.§2: source passage in the text

Written by AI from the text voted on · counts are the official record · Read the text · Report a problem

How the groups voted

For: The Left, Greens, S&D, Renew, EPP; Against: ECR, Patriots, ESN

The Left For 42 for, 0 against, 1 abstainedof 46
Greens For 46 for, 0 against, 0 abstainedof 54
S&D For 125 for, 0 against, 0 abstainedof 135
Renew For 70 for, 0 against, 0 abstainedof 77
EPP For 146 for, 6 against, 11 abstainedof 188
ECR Against 4 for, 60 against, 10 abstainedof 81
Patriots Against 0 for, 63 against, 13 abstainedof 86
ESN Against 0 for, 24 against, 1 abstainedof 27
No group not a group 14 for, 7 against, 7 abstainedof 30

Groups from left to right · for–against–abstained, of the group’s MEPs

A group is shown as divided when no position has two thirds of its votes.

Did not vote with their group

46 MEPs voted differently from their group’s clear line (two thirds of its votes).

The Left voted for (42 of 43). Abstained: 1

João Oliveira (Portugal)
EPP voted for (146 of 163). Against: 6, Abstained: 11

Alice Teodorescu Måwe (Sweden, abstained), Andrey Kovatchev (Bulgaria, abstained), Andrey Novakov (Bulgaria, abstained), Branko Grims (Slovenia, against), Christophe Gomart (France, against)

12 more from EPP

David Casa (Malta, abstained), Emil Radev (Bulgaria, abstained), Ilia Lazarov (Bulgaria, against), Liudas Mažylis (Lithuania, abstained), Massimiliano Salini (Italy, against), Matej Tonin (Slovenia, against), Milan Zver (Slovenia, abstained), Miriam Lexmann (Slovakia, against), Peter Agius (Malta, abstained), Tomáš Zdechovský (Czechia, abstained), Tomislav Sokol (Croatia, abstained), Zala Černilec Tomašič (Slovenia, abstained)
ECR voted against (60 of 74). For: 4, Abstained: 10

Assita Kanko (Belgium, for), Bert-Jan Ruissen (Netherlands, abstained), Georgiana Teodorescu (Romania, for), Gheorghe Piperea (Romania, abstained), Jessika van Leeuwen (Netherlands, abstained)

9 more from ECR

Johan van Overtveldt (Belgium, for), Kris van Dijck (Belgium, for), Kristoffer Storm (Denmark, abstained), Ondřej Krutílek (Czechia, abstained), Reinis Pozņaks (Latvia, abstained), Rihards Kols (Latvia, abstained), Roberts Zīle (Latvia, abstained), Sander Smit (Netherlands, abstained), Veronika Vrecionová (Czechia, abstained)
Patriots voted against (63 of 76). Abstained: 13

Anna Maria Cisint (Italy), Antonín Staněk (Czechia), Isabella Tovaglieri (Italy), Jaroslav Bžoch (Czechia), Jaroslav Knot (Czechia)

8 more from Patriots

Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová (Czechia), Klara Dostalova (Czechia), Ondřej Knotek (Czechia), Paolo Borchia (Italy), Raffaele Stancanelli (Italy), Silvia Sardone (Italy), Susanna Ceccardi (Italy), Tomáš Kubín (Czechia)
ESN voted against (24 of 25). Abstained: 1

Sarah Knafo (France)

Groups as they are now; members who changed group are compared with their current one.

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How each of the 650 MEPs voted →

How it got here

Before the final vote, MEPs decided on 6 amendments (2 adopted, 4 rejected) and 24 parts of the text voted on separately (24 adopted).

All 31 votes on this decision →