“You were moved when (the EU) signed up [to the Istanbul Convention: Editor's note] in 2023, but that was only the beginning of the road”, Ana Carla Pereira, Director for Equality and Non-discrimination in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, told MEPs from the European Parliament’s Committees on Women’s Rights (FEMM) and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) on Tuesday 20 May.
And she added: “Now we need to take further steps together”.
Since 1 October 2023, the date on which the Istanbul Convention entered into force in the European Union (see EUROPE 13262/20), the Commission has been responsible for coordinating its implementation in areas of EU competence, including judicial cooperation, asylum and the principle of non-refoulement.
A Communication adopted on 10 April set out the framework for the baseline assessment that the EU must submit to the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) by 28 November.
The GREVIO questionnaire has already been sent to all the European institutions and agencies, explained Ana Carla Pereira.
In addition, two contact groups have been set up: a political group and an administrative group. “We need a structured and coordinated process”, insisted Ana Carla Pereira. A first draft of the response will be shared with the institutions, including the European Parliament, by the end of May, before a final review in the autumn.
Arba Kokalari (EPP, Swedish) questioned the Commission representative about the support given to Member States in difficulty.
Ana Carla Pereira assured the MEP that, although each State remains responsible for implementing the directive in its own territory, the European directive on combatting violence against women, adopted in 2024 (see EUROPE 13344/24), includes obligations to collect data, support victims and train professionals. She reiterated the existence of European funding through the CERV programme.
Finally, the Director pointed out that this process is not just a technical exercise, but also politically commits the European Union in the way it translates the objectives of the Convention into concrete action.
The GREVIO report is due in 2027 and will serve as the basis for recommendations to the EU. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)