With a clear majority, 75 votes to 27, the Parliament's Women's Committee and the Committee on Civil Liberties and Rights support a call for the European Commission to present a consent bill.
"It is unacceptable that in 2026, in parts of the EU, women are not protected by consent-based rape laws," says Swedish MEP Evin Incir (S) in a press release.
An attempt to pass a consent bill was stopped in 2024 after opposition from Hungary, Germany and France, among others. The full EU Parliament will now vote on whether to take the issue forward at its mini-session in Brussels at the end of March.
