EU lawmakers have backed a report calling for a single, consent-based definition of rape across the bloc, following a vote in two European Parliament committees.
The report was endorsed on Wednesday by the Civil Liberties Committee and the Women’s Rights Committee with 75 votes in favour, 27 against and three abstentions, the Parliament said.
MEPs urged the European Commission to propose EU-wide legislation defining rape around the absence of freely given, informed and revocable consent.
Countries that still use force- or violence-based definitions were asked to bring their laws into line with international standards including the Istanbul Convention, which the EU ratified in 2023.
The report also said EU rules should complement the bloc’s 2024 directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, which sets common standards for prevention, protection and victim support.
Support for victims and online abuse
MEPs called for what they described as a victim-centred approach, saying member states should guarantee access to medical care, psychological support and legal assistance, including sexual and reproductive health services such as abortion, according to the Parliament’s statement.
The report called for 24-hour crisis centres, free specialised services and “effective reparation mechanisms”, and urged countries to extend limitation periods for rape offences because many victims report abuse after significant delays due to trauma, fear or social pressure.
MEPs also asked for EU guidelines in 2026 on comprehensive sexuality and relationship education, as well as EU-wide awareness campaigns to counter rape myths and online misogynistic propaganda, including “incel” content — material linked to online communities of “involuntary celibates” — that normalises violence against women.
Evin Incir, the Civil Liberties Committee rapporteur, said it was “unacceptable” that “in parts of the EU, women are still not protected by consent-based rape laws” and urged the Commission to put forward a legislative proposal.
Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, the Women’s Rights Committee rapporteur, also called on the Commission to act, the Parliament said.
The report is expected to be tabled at the European Parliament’s March II plenary session in Brussels on 25 - 26 March.
