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 judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement
Date: 2026-05-12
Institutions: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
Subjects: European convention, appointment of members, expert group (EU), help for victims, judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU, removal, right of asylum, sexual violence, violence, women's rights

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 12.5.2026  COM(2026) 236 final 2026/0116 (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 judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement    
 
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 

2 

3 

4 

5 

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. 

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) 

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). 
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.  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  adopted  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 
7 
8 

9 
10 

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.  

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)  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. 

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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.  

3.3. 

The envisaged nine draft conclusions of the CoP  

The  draft  conclusions  concern  the  implementation  of  provisions  of  the  Convention  which 
relate to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, such as matters on the protection of victims 
and  support  for  victims  of  violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence,  and  the 
implementation of provisions on asylum and non-refoulement. These matters are covered by 
the  Union  acquis,  in  particular  the  Directive  on  combating  violence  against  women  and 
domestic  violence11,  the  Victims’  Rights  Directive12,  the  Qualification  Regulation13,  the 
Asylum  Procedures  Regulation14,  the  Reception  Conditions  Directive15  and  the  Family 
Reunification  Directive16.  They  fall  within  the  EU’s  exclusive  competence  insofar  as  the 
relevant provisions of the Convention may affect common rules or alter their scope within the 
meaning of Article 3(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). 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,  it  is 
appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Unions behalf in the CoP with regard 
to matters related to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement.  

The draft conclusions on matters falling within the competence of the Union are in line with 
the Union’s objectives, policies and the legal framework in the areas of judicial cooperation in 
criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement 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  nominating  Parties,  11  are  EU  Member  States.  All  nominated  candidates 
demonstrate extensive multidisciplinary experience in the area of combating violence against 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

L, 

and 

(OJ 

against 

women 

violence 

domestic 

2024/1385, 

Directive  2024/1385  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  14  May  2024  on  combating 
violence 
ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1385/o). 
Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing 
minimum  standards  on  the  rights,  support  and  protection  of  victims  of  crime,  and  replacing  Council 
Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA (OJ L 315, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2012/29/oj). 
Regulation  (EU)  2024/1347  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  14  May  2024  on 
standards  for  the  qualification  of  third-country  nationals  or  stateless  persons  as  beneficiaries  of 
international  protection,  for  a  uniform  status  for  refugees  or  for  persons  eligible  for  subsidiary 
protection and for the content of the protection granted, amending Council Directive 2003/109/EC and 
repealing  Directive  2011/95/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council,  OJ  L,  2024/1347, 
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1347/oj). 
Regulation 2024/1348 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common procedure 
for international protection in the Union and repealing Directive 2013/32/EU (OJ L, 2024/1348, ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1348/oj). 
Directive 2024/1346 EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 laying down 
standards  for  the  reception  of  applicants  for  international  protection  (OJ  L,  2024/1346,  ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1346/OJ). 
Directive  2003/86  of  22  September  2003  on  the  right  to  family  reunification  (OJ  L  251,  ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2003/86/oj). 

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women and domestic violence, as outlined in document IC-CP(2026)2. It 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 
legislature17. 

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 
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  Union18  and  with  regard  to  matters 

17 

18 

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

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

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related to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement19. 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 envisaged acts pursue objectives and have components in the area of judicial cooperation 
in  criminal  matters  (Article  82(2)  and  Article  84  TFEU),  as  well  as  on  asylum  and  non-
refoulement (Articles 78(2) TFEU). They are inseparably linked without one being incidental 
to  the  other.  Therefore,  the  substantive  legal  basis  for  the  proposed  decision  comprises  the 
following provisions: Article 78(2), Article 82(2) and Article 84 TFEU. 

4.3. 

Conclusion 

The legal basis of the proposed decision should be Article 78(2), Article 82(2) and Article 84, 
in conjunction with Article 218(9) TFEU. 

19 

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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2026/0116 (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 judicial cooperation in criminal 
matters, asylum and non-refoulement  

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 78(2), Article 82(2) and Article 84, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,  

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,  

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

20 

21 

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)  2023/107520  with  regard  to  institutions  and  public 
administration  of  the  Union,  and  by  means  of  Council  Decision  (EU)  2023/107621 
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 

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). 
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  draft  conclusions  concern  the  implementation  of  provisions  of  the  Convention 
which relate to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, such as matters relating to the 
protection and support of  victims  of violence  against women and domestic  violence. 
The  draft  conclusions  also  concern  the  implementation  of  provisions  of  the 
Convention relating to asylum and non-refoulement. Those matters are covered by the 
Union acquis, in particular Council Directive 2003/86/EC22, Directives 2012/29/EU23 

22 

23 

Council  Directive  2003/86/EC  of  22  September  2003  on  the  right  to  family  reunification  (OJ  L  251, 
3.10.2003, p. 12, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2003/86/oj).  
Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing 
minimum  standards  on  the  rights,  support  and  protection  of  victims  of  crime,  and  replacing  Council 

EN 

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(EU)  2024/134624  and  (EU)  2024/138525  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council,  and  Regulations  (EU)  2024/134726  and  (EU)  2024/1348  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council27. 

The  envisaged  acts  will  have  legal  effects,  as  they  are  capable  of  decisively 
influencing  the  content  of  Union  law  in  that  they  could  affect  the  interpretation  of 
relevant  provisions  of  the  Convention  in  the  future.  It  is  therefore  appropriate  to 
establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the Committee for matters 
related to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement. 

It  should  be  noted  that  conclusions  relating  to  certain  articles  of  the  Convention  fall 
only  partly  within  the  Union’s  competence.  Regarding  those  articles,  this  decision 
should be without prejudice to  Member States’  competence.  In particular,  as  regards 
recommendations  on  Articles  49  and  50  of  the  Convention,  this  decision  should  not 
affect Member States’ competence on the internal organisation and administration of 
their  justice  systems;  and  as  regards  recommendations  on  Article  31  of  the 
Convention, this decision should be without prejudice to Member States’ competence 
in the area of family law.   

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  all 
parts  of  the  state  territory  and  that  they  are  independently  monitored  and  evaluated 
(Article 7 of the Convention);  streamline  the number of existing  coordinating 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),  ensure  that  emergency  barring  orders  are  issued 
quickly in situations of immediate danger and can extend to the victim’s children and 
that  there  are  no  gaps  between  orders  (Article  52  and  53  of  the  Convention);  and 
enable  migrant  women  who  are  victims  of  violence  covered  by  the  Convention  to 
apply  for  an  autonomous  residence  permit  (Article  59  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, asylum and non-refoulement and do not raise 
any  concerns  with  respect  to  Union  law,  the  position  of  the  Union  should  be  to  not 
object to their adoption.  

2001/220/JHA 

Framework 
Decision 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2012/29/OJ). 
Directive (EU) 2024/1346 EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 laying 
down  standards  for  the  reception  of  applicants  for  international  protection  (OJ  L,  2024/1346,  ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1346/OJ). 

14.11.2012, 

57-73, 

315, 

(OJ 

p. 

L 

Directive  (EU)  2024/1385  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  14  May  2024  on 
combating  violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  (OJ  L,  2024/1385,  24.5.2024,  ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1385/oj). 
Regulation  (EU)  2024/1347  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  14  May  2024  on 
standards  for  the  qualification  of  third-country  nationals  or  stateless  persons  as  beneficiaries  of 
international  protection,  for  a  uniform  status  for  refugees  or  for  persons  eligible  for  subsidiary 
protection and for the content of the protection granted, amending Council Directive 2003/109/EC and 
repealing  Directive  2011/95/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council,  OJ  L,  2024/1347, 
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1347/oj). 
Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing 
a common procedure for international protection in the Union and repealing Directive 2013/32/EU (OJ 
L, 2024/1348, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1348/oj) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

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25 

26 

27 

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(9) 

As  regards  Cyprus,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include  the  need  to:  ensure  that  the  provisions  of  the  Convention  are  implemented 
without  discrimination  (Article  4  of  the  Convention);  pursue  efforts  to  collect 
systematic, comparable and disaggregated data from all relevant resources (Article 11 
of the Convention); enable the competent authorities to evict a perpetrator of domestic 
violence from the shared residence in situations of immediate danger and ensure that 
such orders are monitored and enforced, and that sanctions for breaches are effectively 
applied in practice (Article 52 and 53 of the Convention); and develop and implement 
guidelines on gender-sensitive reception procedures and on the prevention of gender-
based violence against women and girls in asylum accommodation (Article 60 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,  asylum  and  non-
refoulement and do not raise any concerns with respect to Union law, the position of 
the Union should be to not object to their adoption.  

(10)  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);  ensure  that  due  considerations  is  given  to  the  safety  of  women 
victims of domestic violence and their children in custody and visitation proceedings 
(Article  31  of  the  Convention);  and  ensure  that  the  legal  framework  and  practice 
concerning emergency barring orders are in line with the Convention (Article 52 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.  

(11)  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 
evaluation (Article 7 of the Convention); ensure that women’s rights organisations are 
provided  with  adequate  and  sustainable  financing  and  are  being  consulted  regularly 
(Article 9 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); expand the number and capacity of shelters and ensure the existence 
of same-sex shelters (Article 23 of the Convention) and ensure that criminal liability 
for rape can be established without 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  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  Germany,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include the need to: adopt nation-wide definitions in line with the Convention (Article 
3 of the Convention); ensure coordination and cooperation between 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  sectors  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 

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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.  

(13)  As  regards  Iceland,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include  the  need  to:  ensure  that  the  national  coordinating  body  is  given  a  clear 
mandate to fulfil its functions and provided with dedicated resources (Article 10 of the 
Convention); and to reinforce prosecutorial and investigative capacity in relation to all 
forms  of  violence  against  women  and  ensure  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  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. 

(14)  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  that  the  data  collected  by  relevant 
stakeholders are disaggregated (Article 11 of the Convention); and to take measures to 
ensure  that  competent  authorities  can  order  a  perpetrator  of  domestic  violence  to 
vacate the resistance of the victim in situations of immediate danger and to reduce the 
processing time for orders (Article 52 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. 

(15)  As  regards  Romania,  the  draft  conclusions  on  its  implementation  of  the  Convention 
include the need to: improve the application of the Convention to all forms of violence 
covered by the Convention, ensure the provisions of the Convention are implemented 
without discrimination, take measures to align relevant legislation with the definition 
of  domestic  violence,  and  introduce  a  gender  perspective  into  Romania’s  Domestic 
Violence  Law  (Article  3  and  4  of  the  Convention);  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  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. 

(16)  As regards Switzerland, the draft conclusions on its implementation of the Convention 
include  the  need  to:  ensure  a  common  understanding  of  violence  against  women  in 
accordance  with  the  Convention  and  take  efforts  to  address  and  combat  violence 
against  victims  exposed  to  intersectional  discrimination  (Article  3  and  4  of  the 
Convention);  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 
collection  of  disaggregated  data  in  the  criminal  justice  sector  (Article  11  of  the 
Convention);  ensure  that  victims  and  their  children  have  access  to  specialist  shelters 
throughout  the  country  (Article  22  and  23);  and  to  ensure  the  safety  of  victims  and 
their  children  in  the  exercise  of  visitation  rights  (Article  31  of  the  Convention).  As 
these draft conclusions are in line with the Union’s policies and objectives in the area 

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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. 

(17)  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.  

(18)  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.  

(19) 

(20) 

Ireland is not bound by Council Decision (EU) 2023/1076 and is therefore not taking 
part in the adoption of this Decision.  

In  accordance  with  Articles  1  and  2  of  Protocol  No  22  on  the  position  of  Denmark, 
annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the 
European Union, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not 
bound by it or subject to its application,  

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. 

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(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. 

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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