Defining rape as a lack of consent (“Only yes means yes”)

The EU Parliament voted on a report that deals with combating sexual violence in the EU and in particular calls for a uniform definition of rape. The focus is on the demand that the offense be clearly based across Europe on the lack of voluntary, informed and revocable consent ("Only yes means yes"). The report, drawn up by the relevant civil liberties and women's rights committees, emphasizes that consent should be the central criterion in relevant legal proceedings. MEPs are therefore calling on the European Commission to submit a concrete legislative proposal to harmonize this definition across the EU and close existing gaps in the 2024 Directive on combating violence against women. The background is that there are currently different legal regulations between the member states, which, in Parliament's opinion, leads to unequal standards of protection for those affected and makes criminal prosecution more difficult. A uniform, consent-based definition should therefore improve access to justice and strengthen the rights of victims. Parliament emphasizes that neither silence, lack of resistance, absence of “no”, prior consent, previous sexual behavior nor a current or previous relationship should be construed as consent. In addition to legal harmonization, Parliament is calling for further measures to protect those affected. This includes better access to justice, health care and specialized support services, as well as training for the police and judiciary in dealing with victims. MEPs also advocate adding gender-based violence to the list of EU criminal offenses and taking stronger action against digital violence and stereotypical portrayals. At the same time, it is emphasized that legal changes alone are not enough. Social measures such as education, sex education and the reduction of prejudices are also necessary in order to prevent violence in the long term and promote a culture of mutual respect. Attention: The voting results shown on the right only reflect the voting behavior of the 96 German MEPs and not that of all 720 MEPs. The report was adopted overall by 447 votes in favour, 160 against and 43 abstentions. Of the German MEPs, 73 voted in favor and 15 against from the ESN group. There were three abstentions from non-attached MPs.

Vote breakdown