Overview
- Lawmakers approved the resolution Tuesday by 447–160 with 43 abstentions, urging an EU rule that treats sex without explicit consent as rape.
- The next step is a Commission proposal, with Commissioner Hadja Lahbib calling the file an absolute priority and pledging a full review of national laws and support for reforms.
- The text says only a clear, affirmative, freely given and revocable yes counts as consent, and that silence, lack of resistance or prior relationships never imply agreement.
- Amnesty International reports 21 of 27 EU countries already use consent-based laws, while others still require proof of force or threats, which can leave survivors—especially in drug-facilitated cases—struggling to meet that burden.
- Turning the vote into binding law faces hurdles because member states must approve and France and Germany have argued the EU lacks clear criminal-law powers even though they recognize consent nationally.