Proposal for a Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence

Summary:

Legislative initiative tabled by the European Commission on 8 March 2022, proposing EU-wide rules to tackle violence against women and domestic violence.

Further information:

Violence against women and domestic violence are pervasive throughout the European Union (EU) and are estimated to affect 1 in 3 women in the EU. One in two have experienced sexual harassment. One in 20 women report having been raped. Online violence is also on the rise, targeting in particular women in public life, such as journalists and politicians. 1 in 2 young women experienced gender-based cyber violence. Women also experience violence at work: about a third of women in the EU who have faced sexual harassment experienced it at work.

The need to prevent and combat violence against women, protect victims and punish offenders was first announced by the President of the European Commission in her Political Guidelines as a key priority, and it is also part of the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025.

This draft law aims to effectively fight violence against women and domestic violence throughout the EU. It does so by proposing measures in the following areas: the criminalisation of and sanctions for relevant offences; protection of victims and access to justice; victim support; prevention; coordination and cooperation.

The proposed Directive was tabled by the European Commission on 8 March 2022.

• Primary Source

• Alternative Source

Commentary and Analysis

UK in a Changing Europe: Commentary, 10/03/2022: Violence against women: new EU proposal likely to face challenges https://ukandeu.ac.uk/violence-against-women-eu-proposal/

International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF): Media Center, 18/03/2022: IPPF EN welcomes the proposed EU law to combat violence against women and domestic violence https://europe.ippf.org/media-center/ippf-en-welcomes-proposed-eu-law-combat-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence

European Journal of International Law: Blog, 07/04/2022: A first insight into the EU proposal for a Directive on countering violence against women and domestic violence https://www.ejiltalk.org/a-first-insight-into-the-eu-proposal-for-a-directive-on-countering-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence/

EPRS: Studies, June 2022: Violence against women and domestic violence: The new Commission proposal in light of European Parliament requests https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_STU(2022)730329

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News

Reuters, 08/03/2022: EU Commission proposes EU-wide laws to combat violence against women https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-commission-proposes-eu-wide-laws-combat-violence-against-women-2022-03-08/

Euronews, 08/03/2022: EU plans to introduce same laws on violence against women across all member states https://www.euronews.com/2022/03/08/eu-plans-to-introduce-same-laws-on-violence-against-women-across-all-member-states

Politico, 08/03/2022: Commission wants EU governments to get tougher on violence against women https://www.politico.eu/article/commission-eu-governments-violence-against-women-iwd/

ERR News, 28/03/2022: EU anti-domestic violence directive sent to Estonian institutions for input https://news.err.ee/1608546766/eu-anti-domestic-violence-directive-sent-to-estonian-institutions-for-input

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Official

EUR-LEX: SWD(2022)60: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Subsidiarity Grid https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2022:60:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2022)61: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Follow-up to the second opinion of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board and additional information https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2022:61:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2022)62: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2022:62:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2022)63: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Executive Summary of the Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2022:63:FIN

European Commission: Press Release, 08/03/2022: International Women's Day 2022: Commission proposes EU-wide rules to combat violence against women and domestic violence https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_1533

European Commission: Questions and answers: the Commission's proposal for new EU-wide rules to stop violence against women and domestic violence (8 March 2022) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_22_1534

EPP EP Group: Newsroom, 08/03/2022: No more impunity for perpetrators of violence against women https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/news/no-more-impunity-for-perpetrators-of-violence-against-women

S&D EP Group: Newsroom, 08/03/2022: Stop violence against women and domestic violence! https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/stop-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence

Renew Europe EP Group: Newsroom, 08/03/2022: EU wide laws offer chance to break the "vicious circle of growing gender-based violence" https://www.reneweuropegroup.eu/news/2022-03-08/eu-wide-laws-offer-chance-to-break-the-vicious-circle-of-growing-gender-based-violence

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