On Wednesday 24 April, the European Parliament approved by a very large majority (522 votes in favour, 27 against and 72 abstentions) the provisional political agreement reached on 6 February on the directive to combat domestic violence and violence against women (see EUROPE 13344/24).
On Wednesday 24 April, this text was also adopted by the Member States’ ambassadors to the European Union (Coreper II). Although it does not define rape at European level, as initially proposed by the Commission, the directive introduces preventive measures on this subject and raises awareness of consent.
In addition, “this innovative directive”, in the words of co-rapporteur Evin Incir (S&D, Swedish), provides for the criminalisation at European level of female genital mutilation and forced marriages. The rules are extended to the digital sphere, and the text, which includes an extended list of aggravating circumstances for offences, insists on improved procedures for the safety and health of victims.
In the words of co-rapporteur Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, Irish), it is a question of “adopting a global approach to combat these abhorrent crimes”.
Read the adopted text: https://aeur.eu/f/bxi (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)