The Istanbul Convention, drafted by the Council of Europe in 2011 and coming into force in 2014, constitutes the first European Human Rights document to combat gender-based violence. Until this day, it has not been ratified by all EU member States, and the EU itself ratified the Convention only in 2023.

In March 2024, however, the EU Member States finally agreed on a European Framework: The Directive on Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, which contains inter alia minimum rules for protecting victims.