Joint Shadow Report for the GREVIO Baseline Evaluation of the EU

ECRE and three of its member organisations have submitted a joint shadow report as a contribution to the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) baseline evaluation procedure in respect of the EU. This evaluation assesses how the EU, as a separate party to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), implements the Convention’s provisions within its own laws, actions and measures. Following the Convention’s entry into force for the EU in October 2023, GREVIO launched its first monitoring procedure. Article 68(5) allows for civil society organisations to provide independent oversight of the implementation of the Convention by sharing information with GREVIO. This joint shadow report constitutes ECRE’s contribution to this procedure.

The joint shadow report focuses exclusively on Articles 60 and 61 of the Convention, focusing on the protection needs and rights of survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), particularly self-identified women and girls, within the EU asylum system. It analyses the extent to which the EU recognises GBV against women as a form of persecution, applies gender-sensitive interpretation of the refugee definition, ensures gender-sensitive asylum procedures and reception conditions, and complies with the Convention’s non-refoulement obligations. It has been submitted at a pivotal moment as the EU prepares to implement major reforms under the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the EU Directive on Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, the recast EU Anti-Trafficking Directive and other recently adopted instruments.

The joint shadow report draws on EU legislation, case law from both the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights, national jurisprudence and extensive evidence from the Asylum Information Database (AIDA) and GREVIO country evaluation reports in order to illustrate the systemic challenges that persist across the EU.

It concludes with concrete and targeted recommendations for GREVIO, urging strengthened monitoring of EU institutions and member states, systematic integration of Istanbul Convention standards into asylum governance, dedicated gender-responsive budgeting, strengthened gender mainstreaming, improved data collection on GBV, and the adoption of trauma-informed, rights-based and gender-sensitive practices across all stages of the asylum process.

The joint shadow report was drafted by ECRE with contributions from the following ECRE member organisations: AsyLex, HIAS Greece and Passerell. It is available to download here.