The Council of the European Union recently delivered its conclusions on combating violence against women, putting violence against women back on the political agenda and calling for immediate action. The conclusions have a strong focus on maintaining and strengthening support services for victims of domestic violence, many of which are currently under threat of being weakened or cut.
The Council of the European Union's conclusions call on member states and the European Commission to develop and improve coordinated action plans and programs that combat violence against women and girls, improve the collection and dissemination of administrative and statistical data on victims and perpetrators, provide and strengthen training for relevant professionals, ensure an adequate supply of quality support services, and monitor the situation with respect to violence against women, in addition to other measures.