Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE), and Evin INCIR (S&D, SE), Rapporteurs, hold a press conference on the Violence against women - update on the state of negotiations by the negotiators. This transcription is a result of an authomatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

press conference

violence against women (T)

FITZGERALD, Frances (EPP, IE)

INCIR, Evin (S&D, SE)

Press conference by Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteurs and other lead MEP's on the Violence against women - update on the state of negotiations by the negotiators

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/73944706/1702479422685_I250820Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&amp;D, SE) rapporteur, Thank you very much and thanks to all of you for being here with us today. My name is Even Incir. And together with Francis Fitzgerald, we are the two co-rapporteurs. But here together with us also, we have our shadow rapporteurs whom we have been conducting this struggle with all across the political spectrum. Not everybody and fortunately, have been able to be with us, but everyone supports our joint struggle. And we have also the rapporteur of the opinion in the budget with us.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteur, We would have wanted to stand here to convey an important message to women and girls all across our Union to say that all the EU institutions sees the situation that women and girls are living under, born into, growing up in. But unfortunately that is not the case. The European Parliament, however, we have a strong mandate for a strong directive that puts women and girls rights in the centre.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteur, And we will be continuing doing everything we can to ensure that this directive, this piece of legislation, which is one of a kind and which is historical, is not just words on a document, on a piece of paper, but that it also really makes a difference.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteur, But not all the EU institutions agree on a strong legislation. Unfortunately, the EU member states, not all of them, we have some, who unfortunately want to water the directive down. We are deeply disappointed with the council's unwillingness to include the crime of rape based on the lack of consent in the Directive. That should be, at least the minimum, that should be included in the Directive.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteur, While women and girls around Europe are being deprived their lives, security of freedom to violence against women, Member States find excuses not to act. This is unacceptable position that the women of Europe will and should not accept. If we want to achieve gender equality in Europe, we cannot continue to have different minimum standards of justice applying to women across the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteur, The Member States opposing the inclusion of rape like France, Germany and Hungary, hide behind the excuse of lack of legal basis as a justification not to take the necessary steps to protect women and girls from this awful criminal offence. The Parliament, as well as the Commission, do not agree with the Council's lack of legal basis argument and do not accept that the Council ignores the need for the EU to align with international standards on rape.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteur, To not include rape is a political choice. Nothing as than a political choice. And we will call on the Council in particularly France and Germany, to stand on the right side of history. The European Parliament has taken the fight for women's right from start and we urge the Council to join us in doing so by reconsidering its position on rape. It's not yet too late. The European Parliament remains committed to the negotiations and we will continue to work towards a solution with the Council. We cannot let Europe continue to be a safe haven for rapists.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteur, According to a new study released by Avaaz today, less than one in 200 cases of rapes result in conviction in Europe. With other words, if a man commits a rape, he has an average less than 0.5 risk of being convicted. They're rewarded with impunity. We ask, therefore, the Belgian presidency to renew efforts and to work towards a directive putting an end to the culture of rape impunity by finding a qualified majority.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE) rapporteur, Thank you very much, Evin, and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you indeed for being here. We really appreciate your presence. This is really a show of strength by all of the shadow rapporteurs from across all of the political parties who support the position we're taking and who are making this demand. We have the last trialogue with the Spanish presidency. Very shortly we thought we'd be giving you we hoped we'd be giving you good news today.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE) rapporteur, But in fact, we've arrived at a situation that is shameful, that is disappointing to all of us, and really unacceptable. The parliament has a very strong position. We want to see rape and the definition of consent being included in the directive on violence against women. We believe and I think rightly, that it would be very difficult for any woman or man across Europe to really understand how you could have a directive without the crime of rape being included so that there is protection right across Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE) rapporteur, And sadly, the point we arrived at today under the Spanish presidency is that we are having resistance from probably ten member states and four undecided, and they include the very important from a population point of view as well as a political point of view, France, Germany and of course, Hungary. So that's the situation we've arrived in.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE) rapporteur, We are pinning our hopes at this point on the weeks of January under the Belgian presidency to try and resolve this situation. We hope that they would be able to. It's a big ask of the Belgian presidency in a short period of time, but that is our ask. As I said to you, we have support right across the political spectrum in the parliament. And I would just note as well, of course, Renew did. You've seen the publicity in recent days in relation to the situation in France. There is a very big ask of France and Germany at this point in time.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE) rapporteur, We have a lot of work to do in other areas as well. The threshold in relation to cyber violence, we're not happy with what's been demanded of us by the Member States and a number of other issues. I can't go into detail on those if you would like us to, but for now, those really are key messages that we have not arrived at a good point under the Spanish presidency. We are very disappointed. We think it's unacceptable and there is a lot of work to do in January.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE) rapporteur, But we will continue to work. We were very constructive. We put forward a very positive basis for us to do the work, but unfortunately, the member states of Europe, many of them seem to have a huge problem on an ongoing basis in relation to the kind of standards that we are demanding and have agreed with them in the European Parliament.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE) rapporteur, So again, thank you for being here. We're happy to take any questions and of course my colleagues may also wish to make a point and we do have an opinion from the Budget Committee. Alexandra, if you'd like to say a few words.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexandra GEESE (Greens, DE), BUDG Committee, No, nothing to add. I think the rapporteurs made the point very clear. It is a political decision that might be legal concerns, but the crime of rape basically goes unpunished in Europe and we need to change that. And this is a European issue. It is not an issue of national law, because national law has proven insufficient to protect women, women's safety.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexandra GEESE (Greens, DE), BUDG Committee, Women can't be safe in their own countries. Women are not safe in Europe when they are travelling and we have the chance to change this today and we are asking Member States to show some courage and to join the Parliament's position in having a common definition of rape in Europe. Thank you very much.

Q&A, Question on the nexts steps in case the Belgium presidency doesn't reach a majority in favour of what it's been asked.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE) rapporteur, -

Q&A, Question about what can be done while the resistance goes on.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteur, -

Q&A, Question on possible contacts with national parliaments that are supporting in this issue.

Q&A, Quesntion on which other countries are hesitant about this provision

Q&A, Question on the abstence of Metsola to the press conference.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) rapporteur, - -