Brussels, 15th October 2020 Ursula von der Leyen, President European Commission Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 200 1049 Brussels Charles Michel, President European Council Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 175 1048 Brussels Subject: (Re)asserting the commitment to the Istanbul Convention Honourable President Ursula von der Leyen, Honourable President Charles Michel, Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (hereafter Istanbul Convention) is the first universally binding treaty that explicitly defines gender-based violence, especially against women and girls, as illegal. A complete ratification by all the Member States as well as EU’s accession would be a moment of historic prominence, both for the relevance of the treaty and gender equality and fight against gender-based violence in the EU. Almost a year after the election of the current European Commission, there is still a strong statement of then candidate for the Commission President resonating within the European Parliament: “We also need to talk openly about violence against women. If 1 in 5 women have already suffered physical or sexual violence in the European Union and 55% of women have been sexually harassed, this is clearly not a women's issue. I will propose to add violence against women on the list of EU crimes defined in the Treaty. And the European Union should join the Istanbul Convention.” Additionally, the Gender Equality Strategy marks a new era in the fight for gender equality with a specific focus on eliminating gender-based violence, thus stating: “the ‘Istanbul Convention’ – is the benchmark for international standards in this field. The EU signed the Convention in 2017, and concluding the EU’s accession is a key priority for the Commission.1” 1 Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025. This clear message and commitment remain only at a declarative level, whereas they miss a concrete realization and implementation. Namely, we regret to observe that ratification by the Member States and thereby the process of EU’s accession have slowed down, while some Member States even consider withdrawing from the Convention. Moreover, in recent years there is an increase of initiatives that foster misconceptions and misinterpretations on the aim and content of the Istanbul Convention. These initiatives have contaminated the discourse of gender equality and severely hampered EU’s strive for prevention and combat of violence against women and domestic violence, thus also further endangering women and girls across the EU. The European Parliament has already condemned these kind of initiatives and campaigns against the Istanbul Convention and expressed concerns about the rejection of the zero-tolerance norm for violence against women and gender-based violence, for which there is a strong international consensus2. In a decade since the Istanbul Convention has opened for signature it thus still fails to be legally binding across the EU and it misses progress towards full implementation of its provisions, without any reservations. The lack of concrete and operationally based approach to a full EU ratification undermines the core values of the EU. Therefore, we the undersigned members of the European Parliament, believe that it would be an essential opportunity for the Commission and the Council to mark this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25th November, with proposal for concrete action towards full ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention. Sincerely, Milan Brglez, MEP, S&D Predrag Fred Matić, MEP, S&D Abir Al-Sahlani, MEP, Renew Agnes Jongerius, MEP, S&D Alessandra Moretti, MEP, S&D Alex Agius Saliba, MEP, S&D Alexandra Geese, MEP, Greens/EFA Alice Kuhnke, MEP, Greens/EFA Alicia Homs Ginel, MEP, S&D Alviina Alametsä, MEP, Greens/EFA Andreas Schieder, MEP, S&D Anna Júlia Donáth, MEP, Renew Antoni Comín, MEP, NI Arba Kokalari, MEP, EPP Attila Ara-Kovács, MEP, S&D 2 European Parliament resolution of 13 February 2019 on experiencing a backlash in women’s rights and gender equality in the EU (2018/2684(RSP)). Aušra Maldeikienė, MEP, EPP Benoît Biteau, MEP, Greens/EFA Bettina Vollath, MEP, S&D Biljana Borzan, MEP, S&D Brando Benifei, MEP, S&D Carles Puigdemont, MEP, NI Caroline Roose, MEP, Greens/EFA Christophe Grudler, MEP, Renew Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, MEP, Renew Cindy Franssen, MEP, EPP Clara Ponsatí, MEP, NI Claude Gruffat, MEP, Greens/EFA Csaba Molnár, MEP, S&D Damien Carême, MEP, Greens/EFA Daniel Freund, MEP, Greens/EFA David Cormand, MEP, Greens/EFA Demetris Papadakis, MEP, S&D Diana Riba i Giner, MEP, Greens/EFA Dietmar Köster, MEP, S&D Dimitrios Papadimoulis, MEP, GUE/NGL Dragoș Tudorache, MEP, Renew Elisabetta Gualmini, MEP, S&D Elżbieta Łukacijewska, MEP, EPP Ernest Urtasun, MEP, Greens/EFA Eva Kaili, MEP, S&D Evelyn Regner, MEP, S&D Evin Incir, MEP, S&D Ewa Bożena Kopacz, MEP, EPP Frances Fitzgerald, MEP, EPP François Alfonsi, MEP, Greens/EFA Gabriele Bischoff, MEP, S&D Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, MEP, Greens/EFA Hannah Neumann, MEP, Greens/EFA Heidi Hautala, MEP, Greens/EFA Heléne Fritzon, MEP, S&D Helmut Geuking, MEP, ECR Irena Joveva, MEP, Renew Isabel Santos, MEP, S&D István Ujhelyi, MEP, S&D Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, MEP, Renew Jakop Dalunde, MEP, Greens/EFA Jan-Christoph Oetjen, MEP, Renew Jarosław Duda, MEP, EPP Johan Danielsson, MEP, S&D Jordi Solé, MEP, Greens/EFA Karima Delli, MEP, Greens/EFA Karin Karlsbro, MEP, Renew Katrin Langensiepen, MEP, Greens/EFA Kim van Sparrentak, MEP, Greens/EFA Klára Dobrev, MEP, S&D Klemen Grošelj, MEP, Renew Leïla Chaibi, MEP, GUE/NGL Lina Gálvez Muñoz, MEP, S&D Łukasz Kohut, MEP, S&D Magdalena Adamowicz, MEP, EPP Malin Björk, MEP, GUE/NGL Manon Aubry, MEP, GUE/NGL Manuel Bompard, MEP, GUE/NGL Manuel Pizarro, MEP, S&D Marc Angel, MEP, S&D Margarida Marques, MEP, S&D María Eugenia Rodríguez Palop, MEP, GUE/NGL Maria Grapini, MEP, S&D Maria Walsh, MEP, EPP Maria-Manuel Leitão-Marques, MEP, S&D Marie Toussaint, MEP, Greens/EFA Martin Buschmann, MEP, NI Massimiliano Smeriglio, MEP, S&D Michèle Rivasi, MEP, Greens/EFA Monika Vana, MEP, Greens/EFA Mounir Satouri, MEP, Greens/EFA Nathalie Loiseau, MEP, Renew Nikolaj Villumsen, MEP, GUE/NGL Özlem Alev Demirel, MEP, GUE/NGL Pär Holmgren, MEP, Greens/EFA Pernando Barrena, MEP, GUE/NGL Petras Auštrevičius, MEP, Renew Philippe Lamberts, MEP, Greens/EFA Pierfrancesco Majorino, MEP, S&D Pina Picierno, MEP, S&D Radka Maxová, MEP, Renew Robert Biedroń, MEP, S&D Romana Jerković, MEP, S&D Rosa D´Amato, MEP, NI Salima Yenbou, MEP, Greens/EFA Sándor Rónai, MEP, S&D Sarah Wiener, MEP, Greens/EFA Saskia Bricmont, MEP, Greens/EFA Silvia Modig, MEP, GUE/NGL Stelios Kympouropoulos, MEP, EPP Svenja Hahn, MEP, Renew Sylvie Brunet, MEP, Renew Sylwia Spurek, MEP, Greens/EFA Tanja Fajon, MEP, S&D Terry Reintke, MEP, Greens/EFA Tineke Strik, MEP, Greens/EFA Tonino Picula, MEP, S&D Ulrike Müller, MEP, Renew Vera Tax, MEP, S&D Ville Niinistö, MEP, Greens/EFA Yana Toom, MEP, Renew Yannick Jadot, MEP, Greens/EFA Younous Omarjee, MEP, GUE/NGL .