The European Women’s Lobby congratulates MEPs and urges the Commission to act now on EU-wide consent-based rape legislation. Mary Collins, EWL Secretary General, writes for EU Political Report.
The European Parliament’s vote on 28 April sends a clear and long-overdue signal: the European Union must move beyond outdated, force-based definitions of rape and establish a consent-based standard in law. With 447 votes in favour, the message is strong. Yet the 160 votes against and 43 abstentions are a reminder that, even in 2026, the principle that “only yes means yes” is still contested.
This resolution may be non-binding, but its political significance is undeniable. It reflects a growing recognition that legal systems in several Member States fail to capture the reality of sexual violence. Across the EU, 1 in 6 women has experienced sexual violence, most often through coercion rather than physical force. When the law requires evidence of violence or resistance, it excludes the majority of victims from justice.
In this context, the Parliament’s call to align all Member States with a consent-based definition of rape is both necessary and urgent. Twenty-one countries have already made this shift. The remaining six must now follow. Recent reforms in countries such as France show that political positions can evolve, even where resistance was once strong. Public awareness has shifted, driven in part by survivors who have spoken out and demanded accountability, such as Gisèle Pélicot.
Consent must be understood as freely given, informed, and reversible. A “yes” obtained through pressure, fear, or manipulation is not valid consent. Silence does not mean yes. The absence of resistance does not mean consent either. Only yes means yes. This replaces the traditional “no means no” principle, which fails to protect victims by not requiring explicit, affirmative consent.
A clear legal basis exists under Article 83(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which allows for minimum rules on serious cross-border crimes, including sexual exploitation. Rape falls within this scope. The Istanbul Convention reinforces this obligation by requiring the criminalisation of all non-consensual sexual acts based on voluntary consent. The question is no longer whether the EU can act, but whether it will.
The timing is also critical. EWL particularly welcomes the report’s emphasis on the ongoing trilogues on the recast Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Directive. We strongly urge all trilogue negotiators (Parliament, Council, and Commission) to seize this immediate legislative window and introduce, for the first time at EU level, a harmonised consent-based definition of rape (at least for minors above the age of sexual consent). Such a step would constitute a crucial and long-overdue breakthrough in the protection of girls and adolescents and set an important precedent.
Unfortunately, legislation alone will not transform reality. Survivors must be met with systems that support them: access to immediate medical care, trauma-informed psychological services, and sexual and reproductive healthcare, including safe and legal abortion. Professionals across sectors must be equipped with mandatory, specialised training to respond appropriately and with dignity.
Prevention through comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality and relationships education, grounded in respect and consent, remains one of the most effective tools to address the root causes of sexual violence. The forthcoming EU guidelines under the Violence Against Women Directive and the new Gender Equality Strategy must be ambitious, evidence-based, and implemented without delay.
The European Women’s Lobby warmly welcomes the European Parliament’s important step in setting out a clear direction. But without legislative follow-through, protection will remain uneven across Europe. The European Commission must now present without delay a legislative proposal establishing a definition of the offence of rape common to the Union and based on freely given, informed, and revocable consent.
In the meantime, this vote shows that progress is possible and gives hope to millions of women across Europe.
Mary Collins, EWL Secretary General
Image credit: Markus Spiske on Unsplash
