13/06/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 13 June, the European Union signed the Council of Europe (COE) Convention against violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), in compliance with the Council decision ratified on 11 May last (see EUROPE 11786). The signing of this convention was attended by Ambassador Joseph Filletti, on behalf of the Maltese Presidency and the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Věra Jourová. The Istanbul Convention recognises violence against women as a violation of human rights and advocates measures to prevent it, as well as protect the victims and pursue the perpetrators. So far, all the member states have signed this text but only 14 of them have ratified it (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden). (SPj)