The European Parliament adopted a non-legislative call for all EU countries to approve the Istanbul Convention.

The document was adopted with 500 votes in favour, 91 against and 50 abstentions, the EP press service reported. MEPs call on the EU to accede to the Istanbul Convention and to ratify it by all EU countries to end violence against women. The EP called on the Council to urgently conclude the EU ratification of the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, also known as the Istanbul Convention. It urges the seven member states that have signed but not yet ratified it - Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia and the UK - to do so without delay.

MEPs condemn the attacks and campaigns against the Convention in some countries, which are based on deliberately misinterpreting and falsely presenting its contents to the public, they say.

MEPs request that the Commission adds combating gender-based violence as a priority in the next European Gender Strategy. They also ask the Commission to submit a legal act tackling all forms of gender-based violence - including online harassment and cyber violence - and plead for violence against women to be included in the catalogue of EU-recognised crimes.

All EU countries must ensure that the Convention is properly implemented and enforced by allocating adequate funding and human resources to the right services. Providing appropriate training for all professionals dealing with victims (magistrates, doctors, police officers...) is particularly essential.

The EP also reiterates its position in favour of specifically earmarking 193.6 million euros for actions preventing and combating gender-based violence in the Rights and Values programme.