The Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) and the Committee on Gender Equality (FEMM) tabled 1,481 amendments to the report on the directive to combat violence against women, drafted by Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, Irish) and Evin Incir (S&D, Swedish) (see EUROPE 13098/11).
Ms Fitzgerald, rapporteur for the FEMM Committee, believes that this interest shows both the “interest in the topic” and the “huge amount of work” to be done. “The task won’t be easy […] we are likely to face severe opposition to certain provisions from quite a number of Member States”, she warned. For her, the battle will crystallise around the Union’s competences to legislate on given areas.
An extension of the scope...
Thus, some of the amendments suggest broadening the crimes covered by the directive beyond the additions already put forward by the rapporteurs (notably forced sterilisation or the purchase of sexual services).
This is particularly the case with regard to “cyber-violence”. Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé (EPP, French), for example, called in writing for the sharing of intimate images to be punishable throughout the EU. Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová (Renew Europe, Slovakian) welcomed the amendments on “cyberflashing” [sending unsolicited obscene photos or messages - Editor’s note], which presupposes the broadening of the scope to include also private communications.
Different political groups have also argued that lack of access to abortion should be considered as gender-based violence.
... which must convince the EU Council
“We welcome most of the proposals we received but we will have to ensure it is within the scope of the directive and within EU competence”, said Incir, rapporteur for the LIBE Committee. While some Member States are trying to “water down” the directive, the European Parliament must “choose our battles in a realistic way to ensure our proposals are taken into consideration”, she emphasised.
For example, the provision proposed by the European Commission which criminalises rape where there is a lack of consent is likely to meet with resistance. Indeed, while all EU countries have criminalised it, a majority of them consider that rape occurs only if violence or threats are used. “The solution would be that rape is a Eurocrime, but that would take a long time and requires unanimity”, Fitzgerald lamented, insisting however on the need to fight for rape to be kept in the text.
In addition, MEPs will discuss strengthening preventive measures, children’s rights and prostitution (see EUROPE 13108/21).
The LIBE and FEMM Committees will vote on a consolidated text in May 2023. This will be submitted to the European Parliament during the plenary session in July, in the hope that inter-institutional negotiations will start this summer.
To read the draft report: https://aeur.eu/f/5j0
And the amendments: https://aeur.eu/f/5j7 ; https://aeur.eu/f/5j8 ; https://aeur.eu/f/5j9 ; https://aeur.eu/f/5ja ; https://aeur.eu/f/5j6 (original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)