Amendment of the European Electoral Act allowing Members to vote in plenary by proxy voting during pregnancy and after giving birth

The European Parliament adopted by 616 votes, to 24, with 8 abstentions (following a special legislative procedure), a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision amending the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, annexed to Council Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 20 September 1976.

The European Parliament gave its consent to the draft decision of the Council.

As a reminder, on 13 November 2025, Parliament adopted a proposal to reform the European electoral act to permit Members of the European Parliament who are pregnant or who have just given birth to cast their vote in plenary sessions by proxy voting.

Under the proposed amendment, a Member of Parliament who is pregnant or who has recently given birth would be able to delegate their plenary voting rights to another Member for a maximum duration of three months before the estimated date of birth and a maximum duration of six months after the birth. This amendment is designed to accommodate the unique health, physical, and logistical challenges faced by those Members, thereby enabling them to fully participate in the legislative process without being compelled to attend plenary sessions in person.

This legislative initiative reflects Parliament’s long-standing commitment to promote inclusivity, gender equality and family-friendly working conditions.

As provided for in the special legislative procedure laid down in Article 223(1) TFEU, once Parliament has adopted its legislative initiative on proxy voting, this proposal is transmitted to the Council. The Council must adopt unanimously its position on the proposal and then it must request the consent from Parliament. The Council has adopted its position on proxy voting on 17 March 2026 and transmitted it to Parliament for its consent.