This wide-ranging law aims to protect women in all 27 EU member states from gender-based violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and online harassment.
The European Parliament approved the rules back in April, and approval by the parties was the last step before they became law.
“This law will guarantee that across the EU, offenders will be dealt with harshly and their victims will receive all the help they need,” said Belgian Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt.
The law will criminalize cyber stalking, cyber harassment and cyber incitement to hatred or violence across the EU. It provides for minimum prison sentences ranging from one to five years, depending on the crime.
Under these rules, if the victim is a child, spouse or ex-spouse, the offender may receive a more severe sentence.
Although all parties unanimously agreed that this law is really important, disagreements arose during the negotiations regarding a common EU-wide definition of rape.
Some countries, such as Italy and Greece, have insisted on including a definition of the term, while France and Germany have opposed it, arguing that the EU has no competence on the matter.
Spain’s equality minister, Ana Redondo, admitted ahead of Tuesday’s meeting in Brussels that she wanted the rules “to be a bit more ambitious”.
But she said the law is “a good start.” EU countries must transpose the rules into national law within three years.
