Trending Now - EU Moves to Strengthen Rape Laws With Consent Definition

WHO:

CNN - European Parliament, Dutch MEP Anna Strolenberg, French MEP Manon Aubry, Irish MEP Maria Walsh, Amnesty International’s Dinushika Dissanayake.

Euronews - Abir Al-Sahlani, European Commission, European Parliament Research Service, Council of Europe.

WHAT:

CNN - The European Parliament voted in favor of defining sex without active consent as rape.

CNN - The resolution was passed by an overwhelming margin.

CNN - The resolution urges all EU member states to adopt a “yes means yes” legal standard for consent.

CNN - Twenty-one of the EU’s 27 member states have adopted consent-based rape laws.

Euronews - The resolution was adopted with 447 votes in favor, 160 against, and 43 abstentions.

Euronews - The definition of rape remains a key gap in EU legislation on violence against women.

WHERE:

CNN - European Union member states.

Euronews - EU member states, including specific mentions of Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria.

WHEN:

CNN - The resolution was passed on a Tuesday.

CNN - In October 2025, France updated its criminal code to define rape as any sexual act committed without consent.

Euronews - The directive that excluded the definition of rape was adopted in 2024.

WHY:

CNN - The move seeks to replace the traditional “no means no” principle, which activists argue fails to protect victims.

CNN - Legislative gaps create significant hurdles for survivors, requiring proof of violence or threats.

Euronews - Supporters argue that recent cases have exposed the limits of force-based definitions of rape.

HOW:

CNN - The resolution will now need to be proposed as legislation for EU member states to vote on.

Euronews - The resolution stresses that silence, lack of resistance, or absence of a “no” cannot be interpreted as consent.

(UPDATED April 29, 2026 11:29 UTC)

The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favor of defining sex without active consent as rape, urging all EU member states to adopt a “yes means yes” legal standard for consent. With 447 votes in favor, 160 against, and 43 abstentions, this resolution highlights the ongoing legislative gaps in the EU regarding violence against women, as twenty-one of the EU’s 27 member states have already adopted consent-based rape laws. The resolution will now need to be proposed as legislation for member states to vote on, emphasizing that silence or lack of resistance cannot be interpreted as consent.