The Council of Europe works in partnership with the EEA and Norway Grants Financial Mechanism under Programme Area 10 - domestic and gender-based violence.

Co-operation through EEA/Norway Grants builds on the extensive expertise of the Council of Europe and its human rights standards on gender equality and violence against women and domestic violence and, in particular, the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).

Under Module B, the Council of Europe serves as a strategic advisor throughout the entire lifecycle of specific EEA and Norway Grant programmes in order to strengthen design and implementation of programmes and ensure a human rights perspective. Under Module C, the CoE engages directly as project partner in pre-defined projects within nationally managed programmes.

Within the current EEA and Norway Grants cycle, the Council of Europe provides strategic advice through programmes on domestic and gender-based violence in the following countries:

• Poland
• Portugal
• Bulgaria
• Slovakia

Co-operation activities under this programme aim at bringing substantive changes on the ground in benefit of victims and building up and strengthening the countries’ capacity to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence.

The Council of Europe also works through the Pathways to end violence against Women – Mission Driven Initiative (2025 – 2030), and through it supports the EEA/Norway Grants’ SYNERGY Network against gender based and domestic violence. The SYNERGY Network brings together governmental and non-governmental organisations. It provides a platform of expertise sharing on how the Grants impact policies on violence against women and domestic violence in Europe in line with the Council of Europe’s Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). Through the SYNERGY Network, the Council of Europe is cooperating with the following countries:

• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Estonia
• Hungary
• Greece
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Malta
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia

 Funding: EEA and Norway Grants 

 Duration of the cooperation: 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2032

 Leaflet of the cooperation (forthcoming)

• In the role of International Partner Organisation, support member states in planning and implementation of their EEA and Norway Grants’ programmes, to strengthen national policies, legislation, and/or practices through implementation of key Council of Europe instruments and recommendations focused on violence against women and domestic violence.
• As EEA and Norway Grants’ pre-defined project partner, support member states to implement Council of Europe standards on women’s human rights, including the Istanbul Convention, focusing on improving prevention, protection, prosecution and coordinated policies to end violence against women and domestic violence.

Council of Europe cooperation with EEA and Norway Grants
Through extensive, long-standing co-operation, the Council of Europe and the EEA and Norway Grants support member states in implementing European standards. The Council of Europe is a key partner for the EEA and Norway Grants, thanks to its various bodies and instruments, which cover a wide range of important areas. This co-operation focuses on Council of Europe’s unique role in translating international standards into practical outcomes to ensure impactful and sustainable interventions.

The current EEA and Norway Grants funding cycle runs from 2025 to 2032, building on the Council of Europe's work in two previous cycles.

• Council of Europe thematic list of publications on violence against women and gender equality
• Council of Europe gender equality resource library in 32 languages
• SYNERGY Network resources