Follow-up to the European Parliament legislative own-initiative report on combating violence against women

6.11.2014

Question for oral answer O-000080/2014
to the Commission
Rule 128
Iratxe García Pérez, on behalf of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality

Parliament adopted a legislative own-initiative report (2013/2004(INL)) requesting that the Commission submit, among other things, a proposal for a legislative act establishing measures to promote and support the action of Member States in the field of prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG). The Commission responded in May 2014, stating that it does not consider it appropriate to submit a legislative proposal on prevention measures.

1. How can the Commission ensure cohesive action among Member States in the field of prevention of VAWG, on the basis of Article 84 TFEU, without a legislative measure?

2. Based on the definition established in Directive 2012/29/EU, what concrete proposals does the Commission have to improve the collection, dissemination and analysis of reliable and comparable data between Member States on gender-based violence? Could the Commission ensure a coherent approach which makes full use of the work of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), including, if appropriate, reflections on the need to establish a European observatory on violence against women?

3. Given that an FRA survey found that 33 % of EU women had experienced sexual violence since the age of 15, can the Commission evaluate the need for activating the passerelle clause by including gender-based violence as an area of crime listed in Article 83(1) TFEU?

4. In the light of the results of the FRA survey, does the Commission feel that the policy instruments currently in place are fully sufficient to combat all forms of VAWG, despite not having implemented an EU-wide strategy and action plan as requested by Parliament?

5. In particular, is the Commission committed to reviewing existing legislation and law enforcement mechanisms with a view to effectively combating emerging forms of VAWG, such as online harassment?

6. To what extent has the Commission examined the achievability of launching the procedure for the accession of the EU to the Istanbul Convention?

7. How is the Commission planning to cooperate with all other EU institutions to establish 2016 as an EU Year to End Violence Against Women?