Directive (EU) 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence

What it is

PURPOSE: to provide a comprehensive framework for effectively combating violence against women and domestic violence throughout the Union. PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: violence against women and domestic violence are criminal offences, violations of human rights and various forms of discrimination. Combating such violence is part of the European Commission's action to protect the fundamental values of the Union and to ensure compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality adopted the report presented by Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE) and Evin INCIR (S&D, SE) on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating violence against women and domestic violence. The relevant committees recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading in the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows: The proposed Directive lays down rules to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence. It should establish minimum rules on the rights of victims to protection and support , as well as prevention and early intervention. The Directive should take into account the increased risk of violence faced by victims of intersectional discrimination based on both sex and gender. Member States should ensure that, in the application of this Directive, particular attention is paid to the risk of intimidation, retaliation, secondary and repeat victimisation and to the need to protect the dignity and rights of victims, including their physical and psychological integrity, privacy and safety. According to Members, the directive should apply to criminal conduct which amounts to violence against women or domestic violence, as criminalised under Union or national law. This includes the criminal offences defined in this Directive, namely rape, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, intersex genital mutilation, forced sterilisation, forced marriage, sexual harassment in the world of work, the non-consensual sharing of intimate or manipulated material, cyber stalking, cyber harassment, the unsolicited receipt of sexually explicit material, cyber incitement to violence or hatred and criminal conduct covered by other Union instruments, Members proposed broadening the definition of rape to include all other acts of non-consensual sexual nature. ‘ Non-consensual act ’ means an act performed without the woman’s consent given voluntarily or where the woman is unable to form a free will due to her physical or mental condition, thereby exploiting her incapacity to form a free will, such as in a state of fear, intimidation, unconsciousness, intoxication, sleep, illness, bodily injury or disability or in an otherwise particularly vulnerable situation. It is emphasised that consent can be withdrawn at any moment during the act. The absence of…

Official title: Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence