Brussels [Belgium], June 2: The European Union has joined the Istanbul Convention to combat violence against women.
Following approval by the European Parliament last month, EU countries voted on Thursday to ratify the Council of Europe Convention, the EU Commission and the countries involved each confirmed in a statement.
Before the convention enters into force, it still has to be published in the EU Official Journal.
The Istanbul Convention is a comprehensive legal framework aimed at protecting women from all forms of violence, including domestic violence.
With the accession to the convention, the EU as a whole will be bound by ambitious international standards.
"Europe is on the side of women, to protect them from violence. All women and girls deserve a life free from violence, it is time for justice and equality," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
"Today, the European Union is sending a strong signal: we are determined to prevent, condemn and fight violence against women and girls in all its forms," she added.
The convention was drawn up by the Council of EUrope in 2011. The Council of Europe, which is not an EU body, monitors compliance with human rights in its 46 member states.
In May, the European Parliament voted by a large majority in favour of EU accession to the Istanbul Convention.
The countries' approval on Thursday means that the EU accedes to the convention in relation to the Union's institutions and public administration, as well as to issues of judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement. The agreement has not yet been ratified in several EU countries, such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.
Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention in 2021.
Source: Qatar Tribune