The legal framework
Directive (EU) 2024/1385 requires the criminalisation of female genital mutilation, forced marriage and several forms of cyber violence — non-consensual sharing of intimate images, cyber stalking, online incitement to hatred. It also imposes protection and support duties: individual risk assessment, rape crisis centres, helplines and professional training. A consent-based definition of rape was not retained in the final text.
It is a directive: it sets a minimum floor each state must reach, without preventing them from going further. Several states already exceeded that floor before 2024.
The most novel part concerns cyber violence, previously punished very unevenly: non-consensual sharing of intimate images becomes an offence throughout the Union.
Key points
| Instrument | Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of 14 May 2024 |
|---|---|
| Transposition | By June 2027 at the latest |
| Offences | Female genital mutilation, forced marriage, cyber violence |
| Protection | Risk assessment, crisis centres, helplines, training |
| Rape | A consent-based definition was not retained |
In practice
- Check first what kind of instrument it is: a regulation applies directly, a directive must be transposed and leaves differences between states.
- Consult the consolidated version on EUR-Lex, which incorporates every amendment.
- Identify the national transposing statute: that is what a court will actually apply.
- Where the meaning is disputed, look for Court of Justice judgments on the point.
- For a cross-border dispute, check whether a national contact point or a European network can help.
Cost and coverage
Consulting Union law costs nothing: EUR-Lex publishes every text free of charge, in twenty-four official languages and in consolidated form. Any cost lies in legal advice, where the interaction between the European text and the national transposing statute becomes decisive — common with directives, rare with regulations.
Where to go
- EUR-Lex, the official portal of Union law, publishing every text in twenty-four languages
- The European e-Justice Portal, for cross-border procedures
- Your Europe, the Commission's information service for citizens
- SOLVIT, the network that resolves misapplication of Union law by an administration
- The European Consumer Centre in your country, for cross-border consumer disputes
Worth knowing
Do not confuse the European Union with the Council of Europe: the European Convention on Human Rights and the Strasbourg Court are not EU bodies and cover forty-six states, including Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
What does the 2024 Directive add?
Harmonised offences of female genital mutilation, forced marriage and cyber violence, plus duties of protection and support for victims.
Is rape defined at European level?
No. The consent-based definition was not retained in the final text; it remains national.
When does it apply?
States must transpose it by June 2027; some national laws already comply.
Does it cover intimate image abuse?
Yes, non-consensual sharing of intimate images must be an offence in every member state.
Official sources and links
- World Health Organization — international reference on this topic
- WHO Regional Office for Africa — country data and programmes