The Protection Order is intended to protect people who are at risk of violence, be it physical, sexual or mental. The person need not have been a victim of violence, just the threat would be sufficient.

Spanish Socialist MEP Carmen Romero López has co-sponsored the report. Speaking to fellow Members Tuesday she said that “this is an initiative by thousands of women, and thousands of victims, not only women”. 

“100,000 protection orders”

She went on to say that “today in Spain there are 118,000 restraining orders in force, 30,000-40,000 each year. In the European Union we might expect some 100,000 protection orders - to give you some idea on the order of magnitude.”

Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio MEP from the centre right European People's Party also sponsored and drafted the report. She told the Women's Rights Committee that “victims are the first people that are forgotten. The European Protection Order is basically for victims of gender-based violence who are moving in the European Union. But we should also think of victims of forced marriages, trafficking of human beings, organised crime or terrorists.”

Concerns over legal definitions

Some concerns were raised during the discussions about the legal ramifications of such a directive in relation to existing protection that exists in European countries.

There were also concerns about how to define when someone was at risk. British MEP Timothy Kirkhope (ECR) told fellow MEPs that “we should recognize the need for a conviction before issuing an EPO. I don't like the notion of possible victims of crime - we are all possible victims”

In the next few days European Union governments are expected to arrive at a final document. If it is to become part of EU law it will need a vote of approval by the whole European Parliament.