Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, at its 20th meeting, on conclusions addressed to certain Parties on their implementation of that Convention and on the election of members of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, with regard to matters related to institutions and public administration of the Union
Date: 2026-05-12
Institutions: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
Subjects: EU institution, European convention, appointment of members, expert group (EU), external competence (EU), help for victims, public administration, sexual violence, violence, women's rights

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 12.5.2026  COM(2026) 237 final 2026/0117 (NLE)  Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Committee of the  Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, at its 20th meeting, on conclusions addressed to certain Parties on their implementation of that Convention and on the election of members of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, with regard to matters related to institutions and public administration of the Union   
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PROPOSAL 

This  proposal  concerns  the  decision  establishing  the  position  to  be  taken  on  the  Union’s 
behalf, at the 20th meeting of the Committee of the Parties (‘CoP’ or ‘the Committee’) of the 
Council  of  Europe  Convention  on  preventing  and  combating  violence  against  women  and 
domestic  violence  (‘the  Istanbul  Convention’  or  ‘the  Convention’),  on  2  June  2026.  The 
position  concerns  (1)  the  envisaged  adoption  by  the  Committee  of  nine  draft  conclusions 
addressed  to  nine  Parties  on  their  implementation  of  the  Convention,  and  (2)  the  envisaged 
election of five members of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women 
and Domestic Violence (‘GREVIO’).  

2. 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

2.1. 

The Istanbul Convention 

The Istanbul Convention lays down a comprehensive and harmonised set of rules to prevent 
and  combat  violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  in  Europe  and  beyond.  The 
Convention entered into force on 1 August 2014.  

The EU signed the Convention in June 2017 and completed the accession procedure with the 
deposit of two instruments of approval on 28 June 2023, triggering the entry into force of the 
Convention for the EU on 1 October 2023. The EU has acceded to the Convention as regards 
matters  falling  within  its  exclusive  competence,  namely  with  regard  to  matters  related  to 
institutions  and  public  administration  of  the  Union1  and  with  regard  to  matters  related  to 
judicial  cooperation  in  criminal  matters,  asylum  and  non-refoulement2.  All  EU  Member 
States have signed the Convention and 22 have ratified it3.  

The Committee of the Parties  

2.2. 
The  CoP4  is  composed  of  the  representatives  of  the  Parties  to  the  Convention.  Parties  must 
endeavour  to  nominate,  as  their  representatives,  experts  of  the  highest  possible  rank  in  the 
field of preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence5. The tasks 
entrusted to the CoP are listed in Rule 1 of its Rules of Procedure6. On 1 October 2023 the EU 
became a Party to the Convention, and, as such, a member of the CoP (Article 67(1) of the 
Convention). 

1 

Council Decision (EU) 2023/1075 of 1 June 2023 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Council of Europe 

Convention  on  preventing  and  combating  violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  with  regard  to  institutions  and  public 

administration of the Union, OJ L 143 I, 2.6.2023, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2023/1075/oj. 

2 

Council Decision (EU) 2023/1076 of 1 June 2023 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Council of Europe 

Convention  on  preventing  and  combating  violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  with  regard  to  matters  related  to  judicial 

cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement, OJ L 143 I, 2.6.2023, p. 4, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2023/1076/oj). 

3 

Status of ratifications on 27 April 2026: AT (2013); BE (2016); CY (2017); DE (2017); DK (2014); IE (2019); EL (2018); ES 

(2014); EE (2017) FI (2015); FR (2014); HR (2018); IT (2013); LU (2018); MT (2014); NL (2015); PL (2015); PT (2013); RO (2016); SI 

(2015); SV (2014), LV (2023). 

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Committee of the Parties - Istanbul Convention Action against violence against women and domestic violence (coe.int)  

Rule 2.1.b of the Rules of Procedures of the Committee of the Parties. 6 Document IC-CP(2015)2, adopted on 4 May 2015. 

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2.3. 

The monitoring mechanism of the Istanbul Convention 

The  Istanbul  Convention  establishes  a  monitoring  mechanism  to  ensure  its  effective 
implementation  by  the  Parties6.  The  purpose  is  to  assess  how  the  Convention  is  put  into 
practice and to provide guidance to the Parties.  The monitoring mechanism consists of two 
distinct but interacting bodies: an independent expert body (the Group of Experts on Action 
against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence ‘GREVIO’) and the CoP.  

GREVIO  is  an  independent  group  of  experts  tasked  with  monitoring  the  Convention’s 
implementation  on  a  country-by-country  basis,  in  accordance  with  Article  66(1)  of  the 
Convention.  The  monitoring  procedure  is  set  out  in  Article  68  of  the  Convention.  In 
accordance with Article 68(1) of the Convention, new Parties are required to submit a report 
(based  on  a  questionnaire  prepared  by  GREVIO)  that  details  the  legislative  and  other 
measures they have taken to give effect to the Convention. GREVIO prepares a report on the 
measures taken by that Party concerned to implement the Convention, and makes suggestions 
and proposals on how that Party may deal with problems that have been identified7.  

The  CoP,  based  on  GREVIO’s  report  and  in  accordance  with  Article  68(12)  of  the 
Convention,  may  adopt  recommendations  addressed  to  the  Party  concerned  on  the 
implementation of the Convention and set  a deadline for the Party to submit a response on 
their  implementation  of  the  recommendations.  Based  on  this  provision,  the  CoP  has  been 
adopting  recommendations  to  Parties  which  differentiate  between  actions  that  should  be 
taken as soon as possible, with a requirement to report back within a three-year period, and 
actions  that  while  important,  do  not  carry  the  same  level  of  immediacy.  At  the  end  of  the 
three-year  period,  the  Party  must  report  back  to  the  CoP  on  the  progress  made  in 
implementing  the  recommendations  that  were  addressed  to  it.  On  the  basis  of  this 
information,  and  any  additional  information  obtained,  the  secretariat  of  the  Committee8 
prepares the conclusions on the implementation of the recommendations in relation to each 
Party under review, which the CoP adopts.  

2.4. 

The election of GREVIO members 

In  line  with  Article  66  of  the  Convention,  GREVIO  is  composed  of  15  members.  Its 
members are elected by the CoP from among candidates nominated by the Parties for a term 
of office of four years, renewable once. GREVIO members are chosen from among nationals 
of  the  Parties,  considering  a  gender  and  geographical  balance,  as  well  as  multidisciplinary 
expertise.  

The  Istanbul  Convention  entrusted  the  Committee  of  Ministers  of  the  Council  of  Europe 
(CoM)  with  determining  the  procedure  for  electing  the  members  of  GREVIO.  On  19 
November 2014, the CoM Resolution CM/Res(2014)43 on rules of the election procedure of 
the  members  of  the  Group  of  Experts  on  Action  against  Violence  against  Women  and 
Domestic  Violence  (GREVIO)9  (CoM  Resolution).  GREVIO  adopted  its  own  Rules  of 
Procedure in 201510.  

6 

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8 

Article 1(2) of the Istanbul Convention. 

Article 68(10)of the Istanbul Convention.  

The applicable procedure for supervising the implementation and the reporting is defined in the ‘Framework for supervising the 

implementation of the recommendations addressed to state parties’, adopted by the CoP on 13 April 2021, IC-CP/Inf(2021)2. 10 Contained 

in document  IC-CP(2024)10 rev.  

9 

10 

CM/Res(2014)43 

Rules of Procedure (amended) 

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During  the  CoP  meeting  on  2  June  2026,  five  new  GREVIO  members  are  expected  to  be 
elected. They will  hold  office from 1 September 2026 until 31 August 2030.  The elections 
will  be  organised  in  successive  rounds.  Each  Party,  including  the  EU,  will  have  as  many 
votes  per  round  as  there  are  seats  remaining  to  be  filled  on  GREVIO.  Accordingly,  in  the 
first round, each Party may cast five votes. If one member is elected in that round, each Party 
may  cast  four  votes  in  the  second  round,  and  so  on.  The  rounds  will  continue  until  five 
GREVIO members are elected by a majority of the valid votes cast.  

 On  21  April  2026,  the  CoP  secretariat  shared,  in  document  IC-CP(2026)2,  the  names  and 
curricula  vitae  of  the  candidates  nominated  by  the  Parties  for  the  election  scheduled  on  2 
June 2026. The document  indicates that 13 Parties have nominated 15  candidates  for the 5 
available spots. Out of the 13 nominating countries, 11 are EU Member States.   

3. 

THE ENVISAGED ACTS TO BE ADOPTED BY THE COMMITTEE OF THE PARTIES  

3.1. 

The nine draft conclusions 

On  2  June  2026,  during  its  20th  meeting,  it  is  foreseen  that  the  CoP  will  proceed  with  the 
adoption of the following nine draft conclusions (the ‘draft conclusions’):  

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina  adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in  document  IC-
CP(2026)4 prov.  

Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Cyprus 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)5 prov.  

Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Estonia 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)6 prov. 

Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Georgia 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)7 prov. 

Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Germany 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)8 prov. 

Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Iceland 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)9 prov. 

Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Norway 
adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in  document  IC-CP(2026)10 
prov. 

Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Romania 
adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in  document  IC-CP(2026)11 
prov. 

Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Switzerland 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document C-CP(2026)12 prov. 

3.2. 

The envisaged election of five GREVIO members 

On  2  June  2026,  during  its  20th  meeting,  it  is  foreseen  that  the  CoP  will  proceed  with  the 
election of five GREVIO members who will take up office as of 1 September 2026 until 31 
August 2030.  

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3.3. 

The envisaged nine draft conclusions of the CoP  

The  draft  conclusions  are  addressed  to  nine  Parties  and  include  conclusions  on  their 
implementation  of  previous  recommendations.  They  concern  the  implementation  of  the 
Convention’s provisions by relevant institutions and the public administration. The Union has 
acceded to the Convention insofar as it applies to its institutions and public administration and 
has  exclusive  competence  to  accept  obligations  set  out  in  the  Convention  with  regard  to  its 
own institutions  and public administration, within the scope of Article 336 of the Treaty  on 
the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union  (TFEU).  It  is  therefore  appropriate  to  establish  the 
position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in  the CoP with  regard to  institutions and public 
administration  of  the  Union,  as  the  envisaged  acts  are  capable  of  decisively  influencing  the 
content of Union law in that they may affect  the  interpretation  of relevant  provisions of the 
Convention in the future.  

The draft conclusions on matters falling within the competence of the Union with regard to its 
own institutions and public administration are in line with the Union’s policies and objectives 
and  do  not  raise  any  concerns  with  respect  to  Union  law.  It  is  therefore  proposed  that  the 
Union does not object to the adoption of the draft conclusions at the 20th meeting of the CoP. 

3.4. 

The envisaged election of five GREVIO members 

As a member of the CoP, the EU holds five votes in the upcoming election of five GREVIO 
members at the CoP meeting on 2 June 2026. The members will be elected by the CoP from 
the 15 candidates that have been nominated by 13 Parties.  

Out of the 13 Parties, eleven are EU Member States. All nominated candidates demonstrate 
extensive multidisciplinary experience in the area of combating violence against women and 
domestic violence, as outlined in document IC-CP(2026)2It is proposed that the position of 
the EU should be to abstain in the elections. 

4. 

LEGAL BASIS 

4.1. 

Procedural legal basis 

4.1.1. Principles 

Article 218(9) TFEU provides for decisions establishing ‘the positions to be adopted on the 
Union’s behalf in a body set up by an agreement, when that body is called upon to adopt acts 
having  legal  effects,  with  the  exception  of  acts  supplementing  or  amending  the  institutional 
framework  of  the  agreement.’  The  concept  of  ‘acts  having  legal  effects’  includes  acts  that 
have legal effects by virtue of the rules of international law governing the body in question. It 
also  includes instruments  that do not  have  a binding  effect  under international  law, but  that 
are  ‘capable  of  decisively  influencing  the  content  of  the  legislation  adopted  by  the  EU 
legislature’11. 

4.1.2. Application to the present case 

The CoP is a body set up by the Istanbul Convention. The envisaged conclusions which the 
CoP  is  called  upon  to  adopt,  as  well  as  the  decision  to  abstain  in  the  election  of  GREVIO 
members,  constitute  acts  having  legal  effects.  The  envisaged  acts  are  capable  of  decisively 
influencing  the  content  of  Union  law,  because  they  may  affect  the  interpretation  of  the 

11 

Judgment of the Court of Justice of 7 October 2014, Germany v Council, C-399/12,  

ECLI:EU:C:2014:2258, paragraphs 61 to 64.  

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relevant  provisions of the  Istanbul Convention in  the future.  Therefore, the procedural  legal 
basis for the proposed decision is Article 218(9) TFEU. 

4.2. 

Substantive legal basis 

4.2.1. Principles 

The substantive legal basis for a decision under Article 218(9) TFEU depends primarily on 
the objective and content of the envisaged act in respect of which a position is taken on the 
Union’s behalf. If the envisaged act pursues two aims or has two components and if one of 
those  aims  or  components  is  identifiable  as  the  main  one,  whereas  the  other  is  merely 
incidental, the decision under Article 218(9) TFEU must be founded on a single substantive 
legal basis, namely that required by the main or predominant aim or component.  

With regard to an envisaged act that simultaneously pursues a number of objectives, or that 
has  several  components,  which  are  inseparably  linked  without  one  being  incidental  to  the 
other,  the  substantive  legal  basis  of  a  decision  under  Article  218(9)  TFEU  will  have  to 
include, exceptionally, the various corresponding legal bases. 

4.2.2. Application to the present case 

As  regards  the  substantive  legal  basis,  the  EU  has  acceded  to  the  Istanbul  Convention  as 
regards  matters  falling  within  its  exclusive  competence,  namely  with  regard  to  matters 
related  to  institutions  and  public  administration  of  the  Union12  and  with  regard  to  matters 
related to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement13. The EU’s 
accession  to  the  Istanbul  Convention  was  split  into  two  separate  Council  decisions  to  take 
into  account  the  special  position  of  Denmark  and  Ireland  with  respect  to  Title  V  TFEU. 
Consequently, the decision establishing the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the 
CoP  also  needs  to  be  split  into  two  decisions,  when  the  relevant  conclusions  concern  both 
matters.  The  proposed  decision  concerns  matters  related  to  institutions  and  public 
administration of the Union. Therefore, the substantive legal basis for this decision is Article 
336 TFEU. 

4.3. 

Conclusion 

The  legal  basis  of  the  proposed  decision  should  be  Article  336  TFEU,  in  conjunction  with 
Article 218(9) TFEU.  

12 

Council Decision (EU) 2023/1075 of 1 June 2023 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Council of Europe 

Convention  on  preventing  and  combating  violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  with  regard  to  institutions  and  public 

administration of the Union (OJ L 143 I, 2.6.2023, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2023/1075/OJ).  

13 

Council Decision (EU) 2023/1076 of 1 June 2023 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Council of Europe 

Convention  on  preventing  and  combating  violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  with  regard  to  matters  related  to  judicial 

cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement (OJ L 143 I, 2.6.2023, p. 4, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2023/1076/OJ).  

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2026/0117 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Committee of the  
Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence 
against women and domestic violence, at its 20th meeting, on conclusions addressed to 
certain Parties on their implementation of that Convention and on the election of 
members of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and 
Domestic Violence, with regard to matters related to institutions and public 
administration of the Union 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 336, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,  

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,  

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

The  Council  of  Europe  Convention  on  preventing  and  combating  violence  against 
women  and  domestic  violence  (‘the  Convention’)  was  concluded  by  the  Union  by 
means  of  Council  Decision  (EU)  2023/107514  with  regard  to  institutions  and  public 
administration  of  the  Union,  and  by  means  of  Council  Decision  (EU)  2023/107615 
with regard to matters related to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and 
non-refoulement,  insofar as such matters fall within the exclusive competence of the 
Union, and entered into force for the Union on 1 October 2023. 

Pursuant  to  Article  66(1)  of  the  Convention,  the  Group  of  experts  on  action  against 
violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  (‘GREVIO’)  is  to  monitor  the 
implementation of the Convention by the Parties to the Convention (the ‘Parties’). In 
accordance with Article 68(11) of the Convention, GREVIO is to adopt its report and 
conclusions concerning the measures taken by the Party concerned to  implement  the 
provisions of the Convention.  

The Committee of the Parties (the ‘Committee’) adopts recommendations addressed to 
the Party concerned, in accordance with Article 68(12) of the Convention, on the basis 
of the report and conclusions of GREVIO. Such recommendations distinguish between 
measures  to  be  taken  as  soon  as  possible,  with  a  requirement  to  report  back  to  the 
Committee  within  a  three-year  period,  and  measures  which,  while  important,  do  not 

14 

Council Decision (EU) 2023/1075 of 1 June 2023 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Council of Europe 

Convention  on  preventing  and  combating  violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  with  regard  to  institutions  and  public 

administration of the Union (OJ L 143 I, 2.6.2023, p. 1), Decision – 2023/1075 – EN – EUR-Lex.   

15 

Council Decision (EU) 2023/1076 of 1 June 2023 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Council of Europe 

Convention  on  preventing  and  combating  violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  with  regard  to  matters  related  to  judicial 

cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement (OJ L 143 I, 2.6.2023 p. 4), Decision - 2023/1076 - EN - EUR-Lex.   

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require  the  same  level  of  immediacy.  At  the  end  of  that  three-year  period,  the  Party 
must report back to the Committee on the measures taken, within 10 specific areas of 
the Convention. Based on that report, and any additional information, the Committee 
is  to  adopt  conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  the  recommendations,  prepared  by 
the secretariat of the Committee.  
The  Committee,  during  its  20th  meeting  on  2  June  2026,  is  expected  to  adopt  the 
following draft conclusions, on the implementation of the Convention by nine Parties 
(respectively the ‘draft conclusions’):   

(4) 

(1)  Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Bosnia 
and  Herzegovina  adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in 
document IC-CP(2026)4 prov.  

(2)  Conclusions on the implementation  of  recommendations in  respect  of  Cyprus 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)5 
prov.  

(3)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of  Estonia 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)6 
prov. 

(4)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of Georgia 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)7 
prov. 

(5)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of Germany 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)8 
prov. 

(6)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in  respect  of  Iceland 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)9 
prov. 

(7)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of Norway 
adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in  document  IC-
CP(2026)10 prov. 

(8)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of Romania 
adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in  document  IC-
CP(2026)11 prov. 

(9)  Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of 
Switzerland  adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in  document 
C-CP(2026)12 prov. 

(5) 

The Union has exclusive competence to accept obligations set out in the Convention 
with  regard  to  its  own  institutions  and  public  administration,  within  the  scope  of 
Article 336 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. In paragraph 305 
of its Opinion 1/19 of 6 October 2021, Istanbul Convention16, the Court of Justice of 
the  European  Union  held  that  a  significant  part of  the  obligations  of  the  Convention 
relating to the adoption of preventive and protection measures are, in essence, binding 
on the Union as regards the staff in its administration and as regards members of the 
public  visiting  the  premises  and  buildings  of  its  institutions,  agencies  and  bodies. 

16 

Opinion of the Court of Justice 1/19 of 6 October 2021, Istanbul Convention, EU:C:2021:832.  

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Moreover, in paragraph 307 of the same Opinion, the Court held that the Union should 
not  confine  itself  to  establishing  minimum  requirements  or  supporting  measures  but 
should  itself  ensure  that  those  obligations  are  fully  satisfied.  At  the  same  time,  the 
extent  of  the  Union’s  obligations  should  be  interpreted  bearing  in  mind  its  specific 
nature  and  powers.  In  particular,  since  the  Union’s  public  administration  is  not 
endowed  with  law  enforcement  powers,  recommendations  relating  to  matters  of  law 
enforcement, such as the issue of emergency barring orders, should be interpreted as 
requiring the Union to ensure the safety of victims within the limits of its powers, for 
example by refusing alleged perpetrators access to the premises of the institutions. 

The envisaged acts concern the implementation of provisions of the Convention which 
also apply to the Union with regard to its own institutions and public administration. It 
is therefore appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in 
the Committee with regard to matters related to institutions and public administration 
of the Union, as the envisaged acts are capable of decisively influencing the content of 
Union  law  in  that  they  may  affect  the  interpretation  of  relevant  provisions  of  the 
Convention in the future. 

As regards Bosnia and Herzegovina, the draft conclusions on its implementation of the 
Convention include the need to: harmonise policies and measures taken to implement 
the Convention by ensuring they cover all forms of violence against women, and that 
they  are  independently  monitored  and  evaluated  (Article  7  of  the  Convention); 
streamline the number of existing co-ordinating bodies and ensure sufficient financial 
resources  (Article  10  of  the  Convention);  pursue  efforts  to  collect  systematic, 
comparable  and  disaggregated  data  from  all  relevant  resources  (Article  11  of  the 
Convention) and to ensure that emergency barring orders can be issued without delay 
where  there  is  an  immediate  danger  (Article  52  and  53  of  the  Convention.  As  these 
draft conclusions are in line with the Union’s policies and objectives and do not raise 
any  concerns  with  respect  to  Union  law,  the  position  of  the  Union  should  be  to  not 
object to their adoption.  

As  regards  Cyprus,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include the need to: pursue efforts to collect systematic, comparable and disaggregated 
data  from  all  relevant  resources  (Article  11  of  the  Convention);  and  to  ensure  that 
relevant authorities can immediately issue restraining and emergency barring orders in 
cases of imminent danger and to ensure that such orders are monitored and enforced 
(Article 52 and 53 of the Convention). As these draft conclusions are in line with the 
Union’s policies and objectives  and do not  raise  any concerns with  respect  to  Union 
law, the position of the Union should be to not object to their adoption.  

As  regards  Estonia,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include  the  need  to:  ensure  that  relevant  policies  and  measures  address  all  forms  of 
violence against women covered by the Convention  and are implemented based on a 
gendered understanding of violence and that their impact is being evaluated (Article 7 
of the Convention); and ensure that the practice concerning emergency barring orders 
is  in  line  with  the  Convention  (Article  52  of  the  Convention).    As  these  draft 
conclusions are in line with the Union’s policies and objectives  and do not raise any 
concerns with respect to Union law, the position of the Union should be to not object 
to their adoption. 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

(10)  As  regards  Georgia,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include  the  need  to:  ensure  that  all  relevant  policies  and  measures  implement  a 
gendered  understanding  of  violence  and  that  their  impact  is  subject  to  systematic 

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evaluation (Article 7 of the Convention); ensure that institutionalised structures are in 
place  for  coordination  and  cooperation  between  relevant  actors  to  ensure  a  multi-
agency,  coordinated  response  to  all  forms  of  violence  covered  by  the  Convention 
(Article  18  of  the  Convention);    ensure  the  availability  of  shelters  (Article  23  of  the 
Convention)  and  avoid  unnecessary  procedures  or  practices  that  may  lead  to  the  re-
traumatisation  of  victims  (Article  49  and  50  of  the  Convention).  As  these  draft 
conclusions are in line with the Union’s policies and objectives  and do not raise any 
concerns with respect to Union law, the position of the Union should be to not object 
to their adoption.  

(11)  As  regards  Germany,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include the need to: ensure the coordination and cooperation among all relevant actors 
in  implementing  policies  and  measures  to  prevent  and  combat  all  forms  of  violence 
against  women  and  domestic  violence,  and  provide  a  multi-agency  and  coordinated 
response without discrimination (Article 7 of the Convention);  and to ensure that all 
relevant  actors  collect  disaggregated  data  (Article  11  of  the  Convention).  As  these 
draft  conclusions  are  in  line  with  the  Union’s  policies  and  objectives  in  the  area  of 
judicial cooperation in criminal matters and do not raise any concerns with respect to 
Union law, the position of the Union should be to not object to their adoption.  

(12)  As  regards  Iceland,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include  the  need  to:  ensure  that  the  national  co-ordinating  body  is  given  a  clear 
mandate to fulfil its functions and provided with dedicated resources (Article 10 of the 
Convention); and to ensure a systematic and gender-sensitive risk assessment (Article 
49,  50  and  51  of  the  Convention).  As  these  draft  conclusions  are  in  line  with  the 
Union’s policies and objectives  and do not  raise  any concerns with  respect  to  Union 
law, the position of the Union should be to not object to their adoption. 

(13)  As  regards  Norway,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include  the  need  to:  ensure  that  national  policy  documents  are  well-coordinated  and 
provide  a  holistic  response  to  all  forms  of  violence  against  women  and  domestic 
violence  (Article  7  of  the  Convention);  ensure  the  collection  of  disaggregated  data 
(Article  11  of  the  Convention),  and  to  ensure  that  relevant  authorities  can  issue 
emergency barring orders in cases of imminent danger (Article 52 of the Convention). 
As these draft conclusions are in line with the Union’s policies and objectives and do 
not raise any concerns with respect to Union law, the position of the Union should be 
to not object to their adoption. 

(14)  As  regards  Romania,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include the need to: ensure coordination and cooperation between all relevant actors in 
implementing  policies  and  measures  to  prevent  and  combat  violence  against  women 
and domestic (Article 7 of the Convention); ensure appropriate financial resources for 
the  implementation  of  relevant  policies  and  measures  and  stable  and  sustainable 
funding  for  women’s  NGOs  supporting  victims  (Article  8  of  the  Convention);  and 
ensure the collection of disaggregated data (Article 11 of the Convention).   As these 
draft conclusions are in line with the Union’s policies and objectives and do not raise 
any  concerns  with  respect  to  Union  law,  the  position  of  the  Union  should  be  to  not 
object to their adoption. 

(15)  As regards Switzerland, the draft conclusions on its implementation of the Convention 
include the need to: ensure appropriate funding for relevant policies and measures and 
sustainable  funding  for  organisations  providing  specialist  support  services  to  women 
victims  of  violence  (Article  8  of  the  Convention);  continue  efforts  to  improve  the 

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collection  of  disaggregated  data  (Article  11  of  the  Convention);  and  to  ensure  that 
victims  and  their  children  have  access  to  specialist  shelters  throughout  the  country 
(Article  22  and  23).  As  these  draft  conclusions  are  in  line  with  the  Union’s  policies 
and objectives and do not raise any concerns with respect to Union law, the position of 
the Union should be to not object to their adoption. 

(16)  During the Committee meeting on 2 June 2026, five GREVIO members are expected 
to  be  elected.  They  will  hold  office  from  1  September  2026  until  31  August  2030.  . 
Pursuant  to  Article 66 of the Convention, GREVIO is  composed of 15  members.  Its 
members must be elected by the Committee from among candidates nominated by the 
Parties for a term of office of four years, renewable once. GREVIO members are to be 
chosen  from  among  nationals  of  the  Parties,  taking  into  account  a  gender  and 
geographical balance, as well as multidisciplinary expertise.  

(17)  As  a  member  of  the  Committee,  the  Union  is  entitled  to  five  votes  during  the 
envisaged  election  of  five  members.  The  five  members  are  to  be  elected  by  the 
Committee from the 15 candidates that have been nominated by 13 Parties. Out of the 
13 nominating countries, 11 are EU Member States. As all nominated candidates have 
extensive  multidisciplinary  experience  in  the  area  of  combating  violence  against 
women and domestic violence, as outlined in document IC-CP(2026)2, the position of 
the EU should be to abstain in these elections.  

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 

Article 1 

The  position  to  be  taken  on  behalf  of  the  Union  within  the  Committee  of  the  Parties 
established  under  Article  67  of  the  Council  of  Europe  Convention  on  preventing  and 
combating violence against women and domestic violence, at its 20th meeting, shall be: 

1. 

to not object to the adoption of the following acts:   

(1)  Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of  Bosnia 
and  Herzegovina  adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in 
document IC-CP(2026)4 prov.  

(2)  Conclusions on the implementation  of  recommendations in  respect  of  Cyprus 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)5 
prov.  

(3)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of  Estonia 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)6 
prov. 

(4)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of Georgia 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)7 
prov. 

(5)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of Germany 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)8 
prov. 

(6)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in  respect  of  Iceland 
adopted by the Committee of the Parties, contained in document IC-CP(2026)9 
prov. 

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(7)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of Norway 
adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in  document  IC-
CP(2026)10 prov. 

(8)  Conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in respect of Romania 
adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in  document  IC-
CP(2026)11 prov. 

(9)  Conclusions  on  the  implementation  of  recommendations  in  respect  of 
Switzerland  adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the  Parties,  contained  in  document 
C-CP(2026)12 prov. 

2. 

to abstain in the election of five members of the Group of Experts on Action against 
Violence against Women and Domestic Violence .   

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.. 

Done at Brussels, 

Article 2 

For the Council 
The President 

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