Considerations on COM(2025)67 - EU position in the Committee of the Parties of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, on the amendments to the Committee’s Rules of Procedure, with regard to matters related to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement
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| dossier | COM(2025)67 - EU position in the Committee of the Parties of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against ... |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2025)67  |
| date | February 28, 2025 |
(2) The Committee of the Parties (‘the Committee’) is a body of the monitoring mechanism of the Convention. Pursuant to Article 67(3) of the Convention, the Committee has adopted its own rules of procedure (‘the Rules of Procedure’). The Rules of Procedure provide that each Party to the Convention has one vote. The accession of the Union to the Convention requires certain adjustments to the Rules of Procedure, in particular as regards voting rights.
(3) In August 2023, the Secretariat of the Committee proposed certain amendments to the Rules of Procedure to reflect the impact of the Union’s accession on the functioning of the Committee. It asked the Parties to the Convention to submit drafting suggestions. The Union established its position on the proposed amendments on 22 April 2024 15 and proposed alternative amendments to the Rules of Procedure. During the 16th meeting of the Committee on 31 May 2024, it was not possible to reach an agreement on the proposed amendments and the Committee decided that its Chair would conduct informal consultations to seek a solution agreeable to all members of the Committee.
(4) Following the informal consultations, the Chair submitted a revised proposal in November 2024 (IC-CP(2024)12 prov). According to that proposal, the current voting rules should continue to apply but be supplemented by a consensus clause (stating that every effort shall be made by the Committee to continue its practice of taking decisions by consensus) and a review clause (stating that the Committee shall examine the application of the rules within three years after adoption of the amendments).
(5) On 13 February 2025, the Secretariat of the Committee shared the revised Proposal of the Chair of the Committee of the Parties for the amendment of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention (document IC-CP(2025)1prov) ('the envisaged act'). The Secretariat invited the Parties to approve the proposal through a written procedure. It was further communicated that, unless objections were submitted in writing to the Secretariat by 30 April 2025, the envisaged act would be deemed adopted.
(6) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf, as the amendments to the Rules of Procedure will be legally binding on the Union.
(7) The adoption of the revised proposal for amendment of the Rules of Procedure would result in the current voting rules essentially remaining in effect with the Union having one vote in addition to the votes of the Member States which are Parties to the Convention. The addition of the consensus clause and the review clause should be acceptable to the Union. The consensus clause codifies the existing practice in the Committee and the review clause spells out the intention to reassess the Rules of Procedure no later than three years after the adoption of the amendments, without prejudging any specific outcome.
(8) As regards the Rule of Procedure listing the participants which are not members of the Committee of the Parties, the reference to the European Union should be deleted since it has become obsolete.
(9) The Union’s position should therefore be to not object to the adoption of the proposal for amendments to the Rules of Procedure as outlined in document IC-CP(2025)1 prov.
(10) Ireland is not bound by Council Decision (EU) 2023/1076 and is therefore not taking part in the adoption of this Decision.
(11) In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol No 22 on the position of Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application,