European Union lawmakers have taken a major step toward reshaping how sexual violence is defined across the bloc, voting in favour of treating sex without active consent as rape.
In a resolution passed by a large majority on Tuesday, the European Parliament called on member states to adopt a “yes means yes” standard for consent.
Under this approach, sexual activity would only be lawful if there is clear, affirmative agreement, and any consent obtained through pressure or coercion would be considered invalid.
The proposal challenges the long-standing “no means no” framework, which critics say places too much burden on victims to prove refusal rather than requiring proof of consent.
Although the vote marks a significant political statement, it is not yet binding law.
The resolution will still need to be developed into formal legislation before EU countries can vote on it individually.
Dutch MEP Anna Strolenberg supported the change, stressing that consent must be freely given. She said that “a society that truly respects women does not ask whether they resisted enough, it asks whether they freely agreed.”
She told CNN, “No one can consent while asleep, drugged, unaware or paralyzed by fear. Any law that leaves room for this doubt, leaves room for violence,”
Across the EU, rape laws currently vary widely. Some countries apply a consent-based model, while others rely on coercion-based definitions that require proof of force, threats, or violence.
According to Amnesty International, 21 of the EU’s 27 member states already use consent-based definitions, including countries such as Sweden and Spain.
However, others like Hungary and Latvia still generally require evidence of coercion or physical force.
Rights groups argue that these differences create major legal gaps, often making it harder for survivors to secure convictions without proof of violence or threats.
French MEP Manon Aubry said during parliamentary debate that systems lacking clear consent standards allow “perpetrators to have full impunity.”
Momentum for reform has also been building in national legal systems. In October 2025, France updated its criminal law to define rape explicitly as any sexual act without consent, following public debate sparked by the high-profile Pelicot case, in which Gisèle Pelicot was drugged and raped by multiple men allegedly organized by her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot.
Lawmakers say the issue is further complicated by growing awareness of drug-facilitated sexual violence cases across Europe.
In one recent case in Germany, a man was convicted of repeatedly drugging and assaulting his unconscious wife over several years while recording the abuse.
Supporters of the EU resolution say recent investigations, including reporting on online networks where men allegedly shared instructions on drugging and assaulting women, have intensified calls for a unified legal approach across Europe.
Irish MEP Maria Walsh said such revelations highlight why coordinated action is necessary, pointing to the scale and cross-border nature of abuse networks.
Welcoming the vote, Amnesty International’s Dinushika Dissanayake described it as a crucial step against “rape culture,” saying it is sustained by harmful myths that normalize sexual violence.
She said, “At a time when the headlines are filled with stories of online rape-academies and organized child sex rings, and where survivors such as Gisèle Pelicot go to great lengths to tell their stories to raise awareness of abuse, this call should echo loudly in the minds of EU decision-makers.”
Amnesty estimates that one in six women in the EU experience sexual violence in adulthood, while one in ten is raped at some point in their lifetime.
