EU governments have approved a change to EU electoral law that would allow Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to vote by proxy during late pregnancy and after giving birth.
Under the amendment, an MEP who is pregnant or has recently given birth would be able to delegate her vote to another MEP for up to three months before the estimated date of birth and up to six months after childbirth, the Council of the EU informed in a release on Tuesday.
It said the decision also sets out that the statute for MEPs should establish general conditions for proxy voting, including requirements linked to transparency, accountability, traceability, legal certainty and the integrity of the vote.
Detailed arrangements for how the proxy voting would work in practice should be set out in the European Parliament’s rules of procedure.
Marilena Raouna, Cyprus’s deputy minister for European affairs, said the change would mean women should not have to choose between public service and motherhood.
Ratification still required
The measure still needs to be ratified by all EU member states in line with their national constitutional procedures before it can enter into force, the Council said, adding that each country must notify completion of its process.
Current rules treat an MEP’s mandate as personal, requiring votes to be cast individually and in person.
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 13 November 2025 calling for a targeted revision of the European electoral act.
