Answer given by Ms Dalli on behalf of the European Commission

11.9.2020

The Commission monitors and addresses the gendered impact of COVID-19 in the EU. Women are heavily impacted, as they make up almost 70% of the healthcare workforce, conduct the majority of household and care work and face risks of economic insecurity. In line with Amnesty International’s recommendations, the Commission calls on Member States to protect victims of gender-based and domestic violence and implement EU obligations[1].

The EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025[2] sets out key actions on gender equality. Concluding the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention[3] remains a priority. The EU Strategy on victims’ rights (2020-2025)[4] addresses victims of crime and pays special attention to victims of gender-based violence[5]. During the pandemic, t he Commission has facilitated Member States’ exchange of good practices on addressing the increased risk of domestic violence[6] and published good practices on protecting crime victims on the e-Justice portal[7].

The upcoming EU Strategy on the rights of the child, planned for adoption in early 2021, will include actions on preventing and responding to violence against children.

The Commission proposed a 100% co-financing rate for the European Social Fund in 2020-2021[8], allowing Member States to benefit of full EU financing for crisis-related measures, as well as EUR 3 billion into the Emergency Support Instrument for health-related measures.

Funding is available under the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme, and its successor, for projects promoting gender equality and combating gender-based violence.

• [1] See notably, Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA, OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, p. 57, as well as Directive 2011/99/EU on the European protection order, OJ L 338, 21.12.2011, p. 2. As regards migrant victims of gender-based and domestic violence, see Directive 2013/33/EU laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection, OJ L 180, 29.6.2013, p. 96, Directive 2013/32/EU on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection, OJ L 180, 29.6.2013, p. 60‐95 and Directive 2011/95/EU 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, OJ L 337, 20.12.2011, p. 9.
• [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2020%3A152%3AFIN .
• [3] Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence; CETS. No 210; https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/text-of-the-convention .
• [4] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. EU Strategy on victims’ rights (2020-2025), COM(2020) 258 final, see: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2020:258:FIN&WT.mc_id=Twitter
• [5] The EU Strategy on victims’ rights stresses the need to draw lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and learn from the good practices gathered during the pandemic to ensure that victims of gender-based and domestic violence have access to support and protection in all circumstances.
• [6] For the webinar materials, see https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/gender-equality/who-we-work-gender-equality/mutual-learning-programme-gender-equality_en .
• [7] https://e-justice.europa.eu/content_impact_of_the_covid19_virus_on_the_justice_field-37147-en.do
• [8] As part of the exceptional flexibilities provided by the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus (CRII+), Regulation (EU) 2020/558 of 23 April 2020, OJ L 130, 24.4.2020, p. 1.