07/05/24 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 7 May, the Council of the European Union unanimously adopted the text of the provisional agreement to combat domestic violence and violence against women (see EUROPE 13344/24). “A revolutionary moment”, commented Marie-Colline Leroy, the Belgian Secretary of State for Gender Equality. The directive strengthens awareness of consent and establishes preventive measures against rape. The text demands that all EU countries criminalise female genital mutilation, forced marriages and cyber-violence. The law also establishes measures to prevent violence against women and domestic violence and sets standards for the protection of victims of these crimes. Member States have three years from the entry into force of the directive to transpose it into national law. The directive: https://aeur.eu/f/c4r (NP)