Five EU member states have not ratified the Istanbul Convention.

Omissions

• The MEP did not name the five non-ratifying states, which are Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia.
• Latvia ratified the Convention in January 2024 (entered into force May 2024) but the Latvian Saeima voted on 31 October 2025 to initiate withdrawal from the Convention — if that withdrawal became effective before June 2026, Latvia would no longer be a party, though it remains a state that ratified.
• The EU itself ratified the Istanbul Convention in June 2023, making it binding on all Member States on matters of EU competence, including on the five non-ratifying states, which limits the practical impact of non-ratification at national level.
• The European Parliament Legislative Train source dates from January 2024; the EP Think Tank confirmation dates from November 2025. No source was found confirming the status of the five states specifically in the first half of 2026, so a late ratification by one of them cannot be ruled out with absolute certainty.

Sources

• PrimaryCouncil of Europe — Istanbul ConventionLatvia ratified the Istanbul Convention in January 2024. The Convention entered into force as regards Latvia on 1st May 2024. Latvia becomes the 39th Party of the convention.
• SecondaryEuropean Parliament Legislative TrainAs of January 2024, the Convention has been signed by all EU Member States, and ratified by 22. Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia have not ratified the Convention.
• SecondaryEuropean Parliament Think TankIt becomes binding on all Member States regarding those matters, including the five which have not yet ratified the Convention.