MEPs meeting in Strasbourg, on Thursday 28 November, will vote on a motion for a resolution calling on the EU Council to ensure the EU's urgent ratification of the Istanbul Convention.
Bulgaria, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom, which have signed - but not yet ratified - this Council of Europe text against gender-based violence, are also invited to do so without delay.
The draft resolution, drafted by members of the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL, also details several specific measures to combat gender-based violence.
In particular, the signatories expect the Commission to develop a European strategy on this issue, to add violence against women to the EU's list of criminal offences and to review the Framework Decision combatting racism and xenophobia in order to include incitement to hatred based on gender. The draft resolution invites the Commission and the Member States to improve their data collection on this violence and calls for the establishment of a dedicated European Observatory.
Majority in favour of the proposal. The EPP, S&D, GUE/NGL, Renew Europe and the Greens/EFA called, on Monday 25 November, during a debate in Parliament, for the early ratification of the Istanbul Convention by the EU and the seven refractory States. European Parliament President David Sassoli also said that shame and impunity must end and that it was “high time” for all States to ratify the Convention.
“This will be the first piece of European legislation that truly protects women”, said Iratxe Garcia Pérez (S&D, Spain). The MEP also criticised parties denying the existence of gender-based violence. A position also defended by her compatriot Eugenia Rodriguez Palop (GUE/NGL): “Because of the far right, the Istanbul Convention is still awaiting ratification in several countries”, she said.
Two political groups have taken a stand against the EU's accession to the text. “I don't think new rules will stop the brutality”, said Jadwiga Wiśniewska (ECR, Poland). Czech MP Ivan David (ID) assured that his group was opposed to this “imposition”, as all measures had “already been taken against this violence”.
There is no guarantee that countries that have not yet ratified will be forced to do so, Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, France) said on the sidelines of the plenary session in Strasbourg. “Bulgaria has requested that the constitutionality of the Convention be verified”, she said. Poland, which has signed and ratified the text, “fears that it may convey ideas on gender theory or same-sex marriage” and could threaten to withdraw, she added. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki, intern)