Activities of Heidi HAUTALA related to 2022/0066(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council Combating violence against women and domestic violence
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (48)
Amendment 52 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) This Directive should apply to criminal conduct which amounts to violence against women or domestic violence, as criminalised under Union or national law. This includes the criminal offences defined in this Directive, namely rape, female genital mutilation, the non- consensual sharing of intimate or manipulated material, cyber stalking, cyber harassment, cyber incitement to violence or hatred and criminal conduct covered by other Union instruments, in particular Directives 2011/36/EU36 and 2011/93/EU37 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which define criminal offences concerning the sexual exploitation of children and trafficking of human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Lastly, certain criminal offences under national law fall under the definition of violence against women. This includes crimes such as femicide, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, stalking, early and forced marriage, forced abortion, forced sterilisation and different forms of cyber violence, such as online sexual harassment, cyber bullying or the unsolicited receipt of sexually explicit material. Domestic violence is a form of violence which may be specifically criminalised under national law or covered by criminal offences which are committed within the family or domestic unit or between former or current spouses or partners, whether or not the offender shares or has shared the same residence with the victim . _________________ 36 Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, OJ L 101, 15.4.2011, p. 1–11. 37 Directive 2011/93/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA, OJ L 335, 17.12.2011, p. 1– 14.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) This Directive supports the international commitments the Member States have undertaken to combat and prevent violence against women and domestic violence, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)39 and, where relevant, the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (‘Istanbul Convention’)40 and the International Labour Organization’s Convention concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work, signed on 21 June 2019 in Geneva. It should be complemented by a full ratification and implementation by Member States of the Istanbul Convention and ILO Convention No 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work _________________ 39 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), UNGA, 1979. 40 Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention),Council of Europe, 2011.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Violence against women and domestic violence can be exacerbated where it intersects with discrimination based on sex and other grounds of discrimination prohibited by Union law, namely nationality, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, social or economic status, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or, sexual orientation gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics . Member States should therefore pay due regard to victims affected by such intersectional discrimination, through providing specific measures where intersecting forms of discrimination are present. In particular, lesbian, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LBTIQ) women, women with disabilities and women with a minority racial or ethnic background are at a heightened risk of experiencing gender- based violence.
Amendment 77 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) Victims should be able to report crimes of violence against women or domestic violence easily without being subject to secondary or repeat victimisation. To this end, Member States should provide the possibility to submit complaints in-person as well as online or through other information and communication technologies for the reporting of such crimes. Victims of cyber violence should be able to upload materials relating to their report, such as screenshots of the alleged violent behaviour.
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) In the case of domestic violence and violence against women, especially when committed by close family members or intimate partners, victims may be under such duress by the offender that they fear to reach out to the competent authorities, even if their lives are in danger. Therefore, Member States should ensure their confidentiality rules do not constitute an obstacle for relevant professionals, such as healthcare professionals, to report to the competent authorities, where they have reasonable grounds to believe that the life of the victim is at an imminent risk of serious physical harm. Similarly, instances of domestic violence or violence against women affecting children are often only intercepted by third parties noticing irregular behaviour or physical harm to the child. Children need to be effectively protected from such forms of violence and adequate measures promptly taken. Therefore, relevant professionals coming in contact with child victims or potential child victims, including healthcare or education professionals, should equally not be constrained by confidentiality where they have reasonable grounds to believe that serious acts of violence under this Directive have been committed against the child or further serious acts are to be expected. Where professionals report such instances of violence, Member States should ensure that they are not held liable for breach of confidentiality. all ensure that a gender-responsive and child-responsive risk assessment and risk management is conducted, and that tailored safety, protection and support measures are immediately adopted. Member States should ensure that reporting professionals are not held liable for breach of confidentiality while ensuring that the victim’s privacy is safeguarded and that they are protected against possible retaliation.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) Victims of domestic violence and violence against women are typically in need of immediate protection or specific support, for example in the case of intimate partner violence, where the rate of recidivism tends to be high. Therefore, an individual assessment to identify the victim’s protection needs should be conducted upon the very first contact of competent authorities with the victim or as soon as suspicion arises that the person is a victim of violence against women or domestic violence. This can be done before a victim has formally reported an offence or proactively if a third party reports the offence. Member States shall ensure that the corresponding competent authority has sufficient funding, staff and other resources to conduct individual assessments, including by cooperating with other agencies and support services (health, social services, etc.). When the victim of violence is a child, protection and support should also extend to non- violent parents or guardians.
Amendment 88 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) When assessing the victim’s protection and support needs, the primary concern should lie in safeguarding the victim’s safety and providing tailored support, taking into account, among other matters, the individual circumstances of the victim. Such circumstances requiring special attention could include the victim’s pregnancy, disabilities, or the victim’s economic, familial or other dependence on or relationship to the offender.
Amendment 89 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 45
Recital 45
(45) ATailored and quality assistance and support to victims of violence against women and domestic violence should be available and provided before, during and for an appropriate period after the criminalas long as needed after the violence occured, the criminal proceedings and relevant civil proceedings (such as civil liability, divorce, termination of a legal partnership or custody proceedings) have ended, for example where medical treatment is still needed to address the severe physical or psychological consequences of the violence, or if the victim’s safety is at risk in particular due to the statements made by the victim in those proceedings. Such assistance and support should be provided free of charge and with the possibility of recovering the costs from the offender.
Amendment 92 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 47
Recital 47
(47) Specialist support should offer victims quality and free support tailored to their specific needs, and irrespective of any official complaint. Such services could be provided in addition to, or as an integrated part of, general victim support services, which may call on existing entities providing specialist support. Specialist support may be provided by national authorities, victims’ support organisations, or other non- governmental organisations. They should be granted sufficient human and financial resources and, where the services are provided by non-governmental organisations, Member States should ensure that they receive appropriate funds.
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 55
Recital 55
(55) In order to ensure the safety of children during possible visits with an offender or suspect who is a holder of parental responsibility with rights of accessWhen a child is a victim of violence or is at risk of becoming a victim, whether direct or as a witness, of an offender or suspect who is a holder of parental responsibility with rights of access, Member States should ensure that such access rights are suspended or terminated in the best interest of the child. In other cases, in order to ensure the safety of children during possible visits with an offender or suspect who is a holder of parental responsibility with rights of access, Member States should always assess if it is in the best interest of the child to uphold such rights to access prior to visits. In case of a positive assessment, Member States should ensure that supervised neutral places, including child protection or welfare offices, are made available so that such visits can take place there in the best interests of the child. If needed, the visits should take place in the presence of child protection or welfare officials. Where it is necessary to provide for interim accommodation, children should as a priority be accommodated together with the holder of parental responsibility who is not the offender or suspect, such as the child’s mother. The best interest of the child should be always taken into account.
Amendment 105 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 58 a (new)
Recital 58 a (new)
(58 a) Member States should meaningfully include impacted persons, communities and groups at heightened risk of gender based violence and their representatives in the development, implementation and evaluation of relevant policies, including preventive measures, education and research activities. Meaningful involvement at all levels of at-risk groups and communities and partnership with community-based organisations is a prerequisite of effective preventive and awareness raising measures and strategies.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 60
Recital 60
(60) In order to ensure victims of violence against women and domestic violence are identified and receive appropriate support, Member States should ensure that professionals and volunteer workers likely to come into contact with victims receive training and targeted information. Trainings should cover the risk and prevention of intimidation, repeat and secondary victimisation and the availability of protection and support measures for victims. To prevent and appropriately address instances of sexual harassment at work, persons with supervisory functions should also receiverelevant due diligence measures should be incorporated in company policies at all levels. In particular persons in management functions and those with supervisory functions should receive training. Specialised support services and civil society organisations working on women’s rights and violence against women, should be involved in the development of the relevant policies and trainings. These trainings should also cover assessments regarding sexual harassment at work and associated psychosocial safety and health risks as referred to under Directive 89/391/EEC of the European Parliament and of the Council45 . Training activities should also cover the risk of third party violence. Third party violence refers to violence which staff may suffer at the workplace, not at the hands of a co-worker, and includes cases, such as nurses sexually harassed by a patient. _________________ 45 Council Directive 89/391/EEC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work (OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 1).
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 60 a (new)
Recital 60 a (new)
(60 a) In order to prevent secondary victimisation, Member States should provide law enforcement officers and judicial staff working on criminal as well as civil proceedings with initial and continued training on preventing and responding to gender based violence. Such training should be development and organised in cooperation with specialised services and civil society organisations.
Amendment 119 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
1. When implementing the measures under this Directive, Member States shall take into consideration the increased risk of violence faced by victims experiencing discrimination based on a combination of sex or gender and other grounds so as to cater to their enhanced protection and support needs, as set out in Article 18(4), Article 27(5) and Article 37(7).
Amendment 125 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) “gender” shall mean the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women;
Amendment 129 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h
(h) “child” means any person below the age of 18 years. When there are doubts about the age of the victim, irrespective of what is stated on seemingly official documents, and there are reasons to believe that the victim is below the age of 18 years of age, the victim shall be presumed to be a child pending age verification;
Amendment 130 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point j
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point j
(j) “dependant” means a child of the victim or any person, other than the offender or suspect, living in the same household as the victim on a part-time or fulltime basis, for whom the victim is providing care and support.
Amendment 147 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. In addition to the rights of victims when making a complaint under Article 5 of Directive 2012/29/EU, Member States shall ensure that victims can report criminal offences of violence against women or domestic violence to the competent authorities in an easy and accessible manner. This shall include the possibility of reporting criminal offences via a free telephone helpline as well as online or through other information and communication technologies, including the possibility to submit evidence, in particular concerning reporting of criminal offences of cyber violence. The persons working on helplines and handling reports received through other channels, shall be trained to be responsive with regards to gender, age, disability and other relevant intersecting issues.
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 2
Article 16 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall take the necessary measures to encourage any person who knows about or suspects, in good faith, that offences of violence against women or domestic violence have occurred, or that further acts of violence are to be expected, to report this to the competent authorities. Member States shall ensure that a gender- and child- responsive risk assessment and risk management is conducted, and that tailored safety, protection and support measures are immediately adopted upon receiving such a report.
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 3
Article 16 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall ensure that the confidentiality rules imposed by national law on relevant professionals, such as healthcare professionals, do not constitute an obstacle to their reporting to the competent authorities if they have reasonable grounds to believe that there is an imminent risk that serious physical harm will be inflicted on a person due to their being subject to any of the offences covered under this Directive. If the victim is a child, the relevant professionals shall be able to report to the competent authorities if they have reasonable grounds to believe that a serious act of violence covered under this Directive has been committed or further serious acts of violence are to be expected. When competent authorities receive such a report, they shall ensure that the victim’s privacy is safeguarded and that they are protected against possible retaliation.
Amendment 165 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 3
Article 18 – paragraph 3
3. The individual assessment shall focus on the risk emanating from the offender or suspect, including the risk of repeated violence, the risk of bodily harm, the use of weapons, the offender or suspect living with the victim, an offender or suspect’s drug or alcohol misuse, child abuse, mental health issues or behaviour of stalking. Where relevant, the assessment shall also cover the need to suspend or terminate parental responsibility with rights to access of the offender or suspect in the best interest of a child, including with regards to prior or future civil rights proceedings, in accordance with article 26a.
Amendment 169 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 6
Article 18 – paragraph 6
6. The individual assessment shall be undertaken in collaboration with all relevant competent authorities depending on the stage of the proceedings, and relevant support services, such as victim protection centres and women’s shelters, social services and child welfare services as well as healthcare professionals.
Amendment 170 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 20 – paragraph 3
Article 20 – paragraph 3
3. Where needed in the best interest of the child , they shall be able to refer child victims, including witnesses, to support services without the prior consent of the holder of parental responsibility.
Amendment 176 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 21 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. When a child is a victim or is in danger of becoming a victim of violence, whether directly or as a witness, of an offender or suspect who is a holder of parental responsibility with rights of access, Member States shall ensure that such access rights are immediately suspended or terminated respectively.
Amendment 178 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Member States shall issue guidelines for the competent authorities acting in criminal and relevant civil proceedings including civil liability, divorce, termination of a legal partnership or custody proceedings, including prosecutorial and judicial guidelines, concerning cases of violence against women or domestic violence. Those guidelines shall be developed in close cooperation with specialised services and civil society organisations working on women’s and children’s rights and shall include guidance on:
Amendment 185 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 26 – paragraph 2
Article 26 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall ensure that victims are able to obtain a decision on compensation in the course of criminal proceedings. This shall be without prejudice to the right of any person, in particular if they were not a civil party in the criminal proceedings, to claim compensation for damages from an offender in civil proceedings, in accordance with national legislation.
Amendment 188 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 26 a (new)
Article 26 a (new)
Article 26 a Implications of gender based violence in civil law proceedings 1. Whenever a person has been found guilty of criminal conduct which amounts to violence against women or domestic violence as criminalised under Union or national law, this shall be considered as irrefutable proof in relevant civil proceedings, including civil liability, divorce, termination of a legal partnership or custody proceedings. 2. Member States shall ensure that incidents of gender based violence lead to an automatic revision of prior decisions with regards to parental responsibility, custody and access rights, and are taken into account in any future proceedings. 3. When a child is a victim of violence or is at risk of becoming a victim, whether direct or as a witness, of an offender or suspect who is a holder of parental responsibility with rights of access, Member States shall ensure that such access rights are immediately suspended or terminated respectively. In other cases where the child is not a victim or at risk of becoming a victim, Member States shall always assess if it is in the best interest of the child to uphold the rights to access of a suspect or an offender prior to each visit.
Amendment 197 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 27 – paragraph 5
Article 27 – paragraph 5
5. Member States shall issue guidelines and protocols for healthcare and social service professionals and volunteers, on identifying and providing appropriate support to victims of all forms of violence against women and domesticgender based violence, including on referring victims to the relevant support services. Such guidelines and protocols shall also indicate how to address the specific needs of victims who are at an increased risk of such violence as a result of their experiencing discrimination based on a combination of sex and other grounds of discrimination. Affected persons and communities should be meaningfully included in developing such guidelines and protocols, directly or through their representatives and representative organisations.
Amendment 199 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 27 – paragraph 7
Article 27 – paragraph 7
7. Member States shall ensure that specialist support services are available to victims before, during and for an appropriate time after criminal proceedingsas long as needed after the violence occurred, criminal proceedings as well as relevant civil proceedings. Such assistance and support shall be provided free of charge and with the possibility for national authorities to recover the costs from the offender.
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 28 – paragraph 4
Article 28 – paragraph 4
4. Article 27(3), (6) and (67) shall apply to the provision of support for victims of sexual violence.
Amendment 203 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 29 – paragraph 2
Article 29 – paragraph 2
2. Article 27(3), (6) and (67) and Article 28(2) shall be applicable to the provision of support for victims of female genital mutilation.
Amendment 207 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 31 – paragraph 1
Article 31 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall set up state- wide round-the-clock (24/7) telephone helplines, free of charge, to provide advice for victims of violence against women and domestic violence. Advice shall be provided confidentially or with due regard for their anonymity. Member States shall ensure the provision of such service also through other information and communication technologies, including online applications. Such helplines and services shall be run by or with the support of specialised services.
Amendment 209 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 31 – paragraph 2
Article 31 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall ensure that the persons working on helplines and other channels are trained to be responsive, taking into account an intersectional approach. Member States shall take appropriate measures to ensure the accessibility of services referred to in paragraph 1 for end-users with disabilities, including providing support in easy to understand language. Those services shall be accessible in line with the accessibility requirements for electronic communications services set in Annex I to Directive 2019/882/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council52 . _________________ 52 Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services, OJ L 151, 7.6.2019, p. 70–115.
Amendment 215 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. The shelters and other appropriate interim accommodations as provided for in Article 9(3), point (a), of Directive 2012/29/EU shall address the specific needs of women victims of domestic violence and sexual violence. They shall assist them in their recovery, providing adequate and appropriate living conditions with a view on a return to independent living. Shelters and other interim accomodations shall be adapted to allow for children to stay with the holder of parental responsibilities who is not an offender nor suspect of violence.
Amendment 220 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 32 – paragraph 3
Article 32 – paragraph 3
3. The shelters and other appropriate interim accommodations shall be available to victims and their dependants regardless of their nationality, citizenship, place of residence or residence status.
Amendment 222 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 33 – paragraph 1
Article 33 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall ensure that children are provided specific adequate support as soon as the competent authorities have reasonable grounds to believe that the children might have been subject to, including having witnessed, violence against women or domestic violence, including by having witnessed such violence. Support to children shall be specialised and age- appropriate, respecting the best interests of the child, and taking into account any relevant other specific needs including with regards to langage skills, disability and other relevant intersecting issues.
Amendment 224 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 33 – paragraph 2
Article 33 – paragraph 2
2. Child victims shall be provided with age-appropriate medical care, emotional, psychosocial, psychological and educational support, as well as any other appropriate support tailored to their specific and individual needs and in particular to situations of domestic violence.
Amendment 226 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 33 – paragraph 3
Article 33 – paragraph 3
3. Where it is necessary to provide for interim accommodation, children shall as a priority be placed together with other family members, in particular with a non- violent parent in permanent or temporary housing, equipped with support servicenon-violent parent or guardian, or in their absence, with a close relative, in permanent or temporary housing, equipped with support services. Children shall be heard and allowed to express their views on such placement in accordance with their age, maturity and language skills. Placement in shelters shall be a last resort.
Amendment 231 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 34 – paragraph 1
Article 34 – paragraph 1
Without prejudice to article 26a and only in case of a positive assessment with regards to the best interest of the child concerned, Member States shall establish and maintain safe places which allow a safe contact between a child and a holder of parental responsibilities who is an offender or suspect of violence against women or domestic violence, to the extent that the latter has rights of access. Member States shall ensure supervision by trained professionals, as appropriate, and in the best interests of the child.
Amendment 234 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 35 – paragraph 1
Article 35 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall ensure the provision of specific support to victims at an increased risk of violence against women or domestic violence, such as women with disabilities, women living in rural areas, women with dependant residence status or permit, undocumented migrant women, women applying for international protection, women fleeing from armed conflict, women affected by homelessness, women with a minority racial or ethnic background, women sex workers, women detainees, or older women, or LBTIQ women and other LGBTIQ persons subject to gender-based violence .
Amendment 236 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 36 – paragraph 1
Article 36 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take appropriate actions to prevent violence against women and domestic violence. Prevention policies and measures shall cover primary, secondary and tertiary action. Primary prevention shall focus on reducing vulnerability before violence occurs, secondary prevention shall focus on identifying violence and intervening to disrupt it as early as possible and tertiary prevention shall cover long-term intervention to reduce the negative impact of violence and prevent reoffending.
Amendment 240 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 36 – paragraph 2
Article 36 – paragraph 2
2. Preventive measures shall include awareness-raising campaigns, research and education programmes, where appropriate developed in cooperation with relevant civil society organisations, social partners, impacted communities and o. Member States shall ensure meaningful involvement of and cooperation with all stakeholders, including relevant civil society organisations, social partners, as well as impacted persons, groups and communities, directly or through their stakeholderrepresentatives and representative organisations.
Amendment 245 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 36 – paragraph 4
Article 36 – paragraph 4
4. Targeted action shall be addressed to groups at risk, including children, according to their age and, maturity and language skills , and persons with disabilities, taking into consideration language barriers and different levels of literacy and abilities. Information for children shall be formulated in a child- friendly way.
Amendment 252 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 36 – paragraph 5
Article 36 – paragraph 5
5. Preventive measures shall in particular aim at challenging harmful gender stereotypes, promoting gender equality between women and men, encouraging all, including men and boys, to act as positive role models to support corresponding behaviour changes across society as a whole in line with the objectives of this directive.
Amendment 254 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 36 – paragraph 8
Article 36 – paragraph 8
8. Member States shall ensure that sexual harassment at work is addressed in relevant national policies and company policies. Those national policies shall identify and establish targeted actions referred to in paragraph 2 for sectors where workers are most exposed. Relevant due diligence policies and measures shall be incorporated in company policies at all levels. Specialised support services, including women support services and civil society organisations working on women’s rights and gender based violence, shall be involved in the development of the relevant national and company policies and trainings.
Amendment 256 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 37 – paragraph 1
Article 37 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall ensure that professionals likely to come into contact with victims, including law enforcement authorities, court staff, judges and prosecutors, lawyers, providers of victim support and restorative justice services, healthcare professionals, social services, educational and other relevant staff, receive initial and continued training as well as both general and specialist training and targeted information to a level appropriate to their contacts with victims, to enable them to identify, prevent and address instances of violence against women or domestic violence and to treat victims in a trauma-, gender- and child- sensitive manner. Such training should be development and organised in cooperation with specialised services and civil society organisations working on women’s and children’s rights.
Amendment 262 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 41 – paragraph 1
Article 41 – paragraph 1
Member States shall cooperate with and consult civil society organisations, including non-governmental organisations working with victims of violence against women or domestic violence, organisations working with persons in a vulnerable situation or with a heightened risk of domestic abuse, and community- based organisations, in particular in providing support to victims, concerning policymaking initiatives, information and awareness-raising campaigns, research and education programmes and in training, as well as in monitoring and evaluating the impact of measures to support and protect victims.
Amendment 270 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 49 – paragraph 1
Article 49 – paragraph 1
Nothing in this Directive shall be construed as lowering, limiting or derogating from any of the rights and procedural safeguards that are guaranteed under the law of any Member State which provides a higher level of protection. Member States shall not lower that higher level of protection guaranteed at the time of entry into force adoption of this Directive by The European Parliament and the Council.