What changed

D. whereas this reformreform, alignswhile limited in scope, nevertheless constitutes an alignment with Parliament’s broader commitment to gender equalityequality, inclusivity and inclusivity,equal participation, ensuring that parental responsibilities do not hinder political representation;representation and exercise of the mandate;

(1) Ensuring that Members of the European Parliament can take maternity leave while continuing to effectively exercise their mandate should facilitate the participation of mothers in politics, contributing both to gender equality in the European Parliament and effective democratic representation.

(2) The introduction of a system of proxy voting in plenary sessions of the European Parliament will allow Members to fully exercise their mandates in the periods immediately before and after they give birth, if they so wish.

(5) In the interest of legal certainty, it should be clarified that proxy voting should be used exclusively in plenary sessions, and that votes cast by proxy should count towards quorums, majoritiesthresholds and thresholds.majorities required for the votes in Parliament.

(6) To guarantee legal certainty and integrity of the vote, the delegation of the vote should be made on a voluntary and revokable basis. Revoking the delegation of the vote should be possible within a reasonable time before the voting session starts, including in order to change the designated proxy.

(8) In order to fulfil the requirements for transparency, the identitynames of both the absent Member and the Member acting as a proxy should be clearly identifiablerecorded in the minutes, and those minutes should clearly indicate votes cast by proxy.

(9) In order to deliver on accountability, integrity, traceability and legal certainty, all votes cast by proxy should be verifiable and correctable, as is already the case with other votes. NoAny dispute regarding a vote cast by proxy should not affect itsthe validity orof thatthe ofvote nor should it affect the voting results.

(b) the delegation of vote shall be entirely voluntary and may always be revoked;revoked within a reasonable time before the voting session;

(d) both the identityname of the Member delegating her vote and the identityname of the Member exercising the vote by delegation shall be recorded in the minutes of the sitting and the published voting results shall clearly indicate votes cast by proxy;

(f) no disagreementdisagreements of the delegating Member over a vote cast by delegation shall not affect the validity of the vote andnor shall they affect the voting result;

(g) corrections to votes cast by delegation shall be possible under the same conditions and in the same manner as votes cast without delegation, but they shall not affect the validity of the vote andnor shall they affect the voting result.”

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the first day after the date on which the last notification referred to in Article 2 of Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2026/1296 of 26 May 2026 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, has been received.