EU Accession to the Istanbul Convention Analysis

This article is a research report that analyzes the Council's practice of 'common accord' as a reason for the delay in the European Union's accession to the Istanbul Convention. It discusses the political and legal factors that influence this accession, noting that there are no legal barriers according to the Court of Justice Opinion 1/19. The report highlights that the delay is primarily due to political contexts, including the EU's constitutional crisis and the influence of populist leaders. The article also examines the urgent social need for the EU to ratify the Istanbul Convention, which aims to protect women against violence. It details the procedural history of the Convention, including the EU's decisions from 2017 and the recent request for consent from the European Parliament in February 2023. Furthermore, the report presents a case study that collects qualitative data to understand the phenomenon of accession within its political and legal context, emphasizing the implications of the 'common accord' practice.