Article 1

In Article 6 of the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, the following paragraphs are inserted: 1a. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, a member of the European Parliament who is pregnant or who has given birth may have her vote cast by another member of the European Parliament, acting as proxy, for a maximum period of three months before the estimated date of birth of the child and for a maximum period of six months after that birth. 1b. General conditions governing the derogation provided for in paragraph 1a shall be laid down in the Statute for Members of the European Parliament adopted by Decision 2005/684/EC, Euratom of the European Parliament and shall ensure compliance with the principles of transparency, accountability, traceability, legal certainty and integrity of the vote. 1c. Detailed arrangements for the derogation provided for in paragraph 1a shall be laid down in the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament.