Members of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) discussed, with experts, a draft report with recommendations to the Commission to propose a Council decision to consider gender-based violence as an area of crime. Evelyn REGNER (S&D,AT), FEMM Chair explained that a legal base is needed and a definition written in criminal law books. MEPs also hold an exchange of views entitled ‘The Istanbul Convention - 10th anniversary, including the impact of the withdrawal of Turkey’. "The Istanbul convention is the golden standard of protecting women against violence", stated Evelyn REGNER.

Brussels

exchange of views

statement

meeting

EU - Türkiye (T)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

violence against women (T)

REGNER, Evelyn (S&D, AT)

Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality

Gender-based violence / 10th anniversary of the Istanbul Convention : statement by Evelyn REGNER (S&D,AT), FEMM Chair

Title: Gender-based violence as a new area of crime listed in Article 83(1) TFEU/ The Istanbul Convention - 10th anniversary, including the impact of the withdrawal of Turkey: - statement by Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D,AT), FEMM Chair Joint EP FEMM/LIBE Committees

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, In Austria, we have just this year already, 14 feminicides. More women are killed than men, more women are killed simply because they are women, because of their gender. So it's clear, crystal clear we have to do something against this terrific violence. And to declare gender based violence as an aera crime is an efficient means to go for the better.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, We need a legal base. So really a definition in our criminal law books where it is written. If violence is gender based, violence is happening, if a woman is attacked simply because she's a woman, that there is a clear sanction. So it's the clear formulation as it is done in our law books. If gender based violence is applied against women, then a sanction has to be followed. Of course, criminal law and the sanction is defined in the national criminal law books. But what we are developing and working out right now is defining it as a area crime, which means having facts, figures, minimum standards that oblige the national legislature to have a punishment, to have a conclusion, to have a crystal clear sanction afterwards.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, The Istanbul convention is the golden standard of protecting women against violence. Why? It's about prevention. It's about protection. It's about punishment. It's the full programme that is the task of all authorities. It is the task of the government, of the state, of all public authorities to protect women against this violence. So violence is not a private question. Violence against women is a question we are systematically authorities have to react.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, For us today the 25th of May should become the day for the protection of women against violence. While we are mourning all those victims on the 25th of November who are suffering under violence. So the International Day Against Violence Against Women is the 25th November. But we want for the future a brighter day, the twenty fifth of me a day where we show what we can do in order to protect women properly.