Soraya Post, rapporteur. – Madam President, I had the honour of working on the implementation report on the European Protection Order Directive, which, if it works, can save the lives of victims of gender-based violence and other forms of interpersonal violence. It is one of those EU initiatives that can save tens of thousands of lives and we need to save them today, in Europe.

One in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15. Every second woman has been a victim of sexual harassment. Women and girls living with disabilities in Europe are two to five times more likely to be victims of violence than non-disabled women.

Around 20% of European children are victims of sexual violence, most of which is committed by someone very close to them. One in five women has experienced stalking. One in four Roma people are victims of hate—motivated harassment and crimes. Thousands of LGBTI people are attacked or threatened with violence. There are tens of thousands of people who need protection. However, there have only been seven European Protection Orders (EPOs) issued in the whole of Europe so far.

For me, as a feminist, it is very frustrating to see that there is a tool that could be used but is not. For me, it clearly shows that, so far, neither the Commission nor the Member States have taken their responsibilities very seriously. Public servants who come into contact with victims do not know about this international protection instrument. Victim protection organisations do not know about this instrument. The victims themselves have hardly ever heard of the opportunity that they have to take their already existing national protection orders with them abroad when they want to travel or move to another EU country.

This Directive came into force in 2011. Member States had four years to implement it into their national laws by 11 January 2015. How many years do we have to wait until this Directive is properly implemented and provides protection for those who need it? This shameful situation has to change. Therefore, in our draft report we formulated several pages of demands, some of which are the following:

We call on the Commission and the Member States to make sure that information about EPOs really reaches the victims, the NGOs and the authorities that are working with these issues;

We call for mandatory training of professionals likely to come in contact with victims;

We call on Member States to automatically inform persons who get a national protection order about the EPO and making the application process free of charge, shorter and easier for victims;

We call for special measures to be implemented by the Member States for victims in vulnerable situations or victims with specific needs, such as children;

We call for free legal aid, translation and interpretation into a language understood by the victim;

We call for a decision on the EPO request to be delivered within a maximum of two weeks;

Given the increasing exposure of children and teenagers to violence online, we call on Member States to include education on gender equality and non—violence in the school curriculum;

Since the EU has focused its security agenda purely on its external aspect, we call on the Commission and the Council to place the issue of interpersonal security on the EU security agenda.

I would like to ask all colleagues to help us in our fight and to help to spread the word about this protection instrument so that everybody can exercise their right to live free from violence and the fear of it in our Europe. I would like to thank my co-rapporteur, Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio, and all the shadows and all the colleagues who tabled amendments to this report, which make it strong. I hope for a successful voting outcome today, of course, and wish us all good luck. This is not acceptable.