The new rules, provisionally agreed by EU co-legislators, seek to reinforce support and protection measures for victims and their rights in criminal proceedings. On Wednesday evening, negotiators from Parliament reached an informal agreement with the Council to update the 2012 Victims’ Rights directive following a proposal by the Commission in 2023. The agreement succeeds in: strengthening […]
Violence against women and domestic violence: EU equality ministers call for stronger focus on prevention, early detection and intervention
Recognising the vital role that ordinary citizens can play in preventing abuse, the Council has approved conclusions calling for greater efforts to empower bystanders to help combat violence against women and domestic violence. In their conclusions, EU equality ministers underline that awareness, education and societal support are key to ensuring that bystanders can recognise abuse, […]
European Parliament gives green light to EU accession to Istanbul Convention
On Wednesday, Parliament approved the EU’s accession to the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women. Six years after the EU signed the Istanbul Convention – the first legally binding international instrument on preventing and combating violence against women and girls – it has still not been ratified because of the refusal of […]