Representatives from Cyprus, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Malta and Norway met on 7 November 2025 in Malta, together with officials from the Financial Mechanism Office and the Council of Europe, for the first in-person meeting of the SYNERGY Network against Gender based and domestic violence in the 2021-2028 funding cycle of EEA and Norway Grants.

Hosted by Malta's Commissioner of Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence Samantha Pace Gasan during Malta’s Presidency of the Council of Europe, the meeting established the SYNERGY Network's new structure around four working groups aligned with the Istanbul Convention's pillars: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Integrated Policies.

Central to SYNERGY’s success will be support from the Council of Europe's Pathways to end violence against women Mission Driven Initiative, a five-year programme running until 2030. Pathways also provides expert guidance on combating violence against women across 15 EU countries benefitting from EEA and Norway Grants. Both the Pathways Initiative and the SYNERGY Network are set to formally launch in autumn 2026.

The Malta event followed the third meeting of representatives of national coordinating bodies established under Article 10 of the Istanbul Convention, providing a platform for countries to share good practices and challenges in implementing national legislation and mechanisms.

See more:

 Mission Driven Initiative: Pathways to end violence against women

 Network: SYNERGY Network against gender-based and domestic violence

 Cooperation: Council of Europe cooperation with EEA and Norway Grants

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