Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of October 4, 2026, from the Government Delegation against Gender-Based Violence, publishing the Agreement with the City of Ceuta for the provision of the telephone service for information, care and legal advice on violence against women |
|---|---|
| BOE Publication | October 12, 2026 |
| Entry into force | October 1, 2026 |
| Agreement parties | Government Delegation against Gender-Based Violence and Autonomous City of Ceuta |
| Category | Public Sector |
| Budget framework | State Pact against Gender-Based Violence 2025: 1.5 billion euros |
| BOE Reference | BOE-A-2026-21234 |
The Autonomous City of Ceuta strengthens its network of care for victims of gender-based violence with a collaboration agreement formalized with the Government Delegation against Gender-Based Violence. The agreement, published in the BOE on October 12, 2026 with effects from October 1, 2026, guarantees the continuity and extension of the telephone service for information, care and legal advice in Ceuta territory.
This agreement is not an isolated initiative: it is part of a set of first-order international and national obligations, and is financed within the renewed State Pact against Gender-Based Violence approved in 2025, the instrument with the largest budget allocation in this area with 1.5 billion euros.
What does this regulation establish?
The agreement regulates the provision of the telephone service for information, care and legal advice to women victims of gender-based violence in Ceuta. Its content is structured around three regulatory axes:
| Regulatory framework | Specific obligation |
|---|---|
| Istanbul Convention (Council of Europe) | Requires free telephone lines accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
| Organic Law 1/2004 on Gender-Based Violence | Recognizes the right of victims to receive adequate information |
| Organic Law 10/2022 on Sexual Freedom | Expands recognition of the right to information and care for victims |
| State Pact against Gender-Based Violence 2025 | Provides the budget framework (1.5B€) for financing these services |
The agreement establishes a model of administrative coordination between the State and Ceuta for financing and effective service delivery. Its practical impact is the extension and strengthening of the care network for victims in Ceuta territory, ensuring that no woman at risk is left without access to information or legal advice due to geographic or institutional coverage reasons.
Economic and operational impact
For the administrations involved, this agreement has direct operational and budgetary consequences:
- Shared financing: The agreement implies a distribution of economic responsibilities between the State and the Autonomous City of Ceuta to sustain the telephone service. The overall allocation of the 2025 State Pact (1.5 billion euros) is the financial umbrella that makes this type of territorial agreements possible.
- Obligation of continuous availability: The service must operate uninterruptedly (24 hours, 7 days a week), which implies costs for personnel, technological infrastructure and referral protocols.
- Inter-administrative coordination: The Autonomous City of Ceuta assumes management and reporting commitments to the Government Delegation, which requires administrative structures for monitoring and control.
- Legal advice included: The service is not limited to general information, but includes specialized legal advice, which raises the level of qualification required from service personnel.
From the perspective of regulatory compliance, the failure to effectively provide the service would constitute a breach of the obligations derived from the Istanbul Convention and the cited organic laws, with the political and institutional consequences this entails for the responsible administrations.
Who does it affect?
- Autonomous City of Ceuta: As a signatory party to the agreement, it assumes obligations of management, co-financing and service delivery in its territory.
- Government Delegation against Gender-Based Violence: Responsible for publication, supervision and coordination of the agreement at the state level.
- Entities and organizations providing the service in Ceuta: Those that operate or may operate the telephone care line under the agreement framework.
- Women victims of gender-based violence in Ceuta: Direct recipients of the service, who are guaranteed access to free information, care and legal advice available at all times.
- Legal and social professionals: Those who provide advice on the telephone line must comply with the qualification and availability standards required by the agreement.
Practical example
A woman living in Ceuta who finds herself in a situation of risk due to gender-based violence can call at any time—at 3 in the morning on a holiday Sunday—the telephone service guaranteed by this agreement. Thanks to the agreement between the State and the Autonomous City, she will receive not only general guidance, but also specialized legal advice: what protection measures she can request, how to file a complaint, what resources are available to her in Ceuta.
Without this agreement, the coverage of that service in Ceuta territory would depend exclusively on the budgetary and organizational capacity of the Autonomous City, without the financial backing or coordination framework provided by the 2025 State Pact (1.5 billion euros). The agreement is, in practice, the guarantee that the service exists, is financed and meets the standards of the Istanbul Convention.
What should administrations do now?
- Verify the operability of the telephone service in Ceuta: Confirm that the line is active, available 24/7 and that care personnel meet the qualification requirements for legal advice.
- Review co-financing commitments: The Autonomous City of Ceuta must ensure that its budgetary contribution to the agreement is correctly allocated in its accounts and aligned with the agreed terms.
- Establish coordination and reporting protocols: Define the mechanisms for monitoring and communication with the Government Delegation against Gender-Based Violence to ensure compliance with the agreement's commitments.
- Align the service with Istanbul Convention standards: Review that the provision complies with the requirements of free access, accessibility and continuous availability required by the international treaty.
- Integrate the service into the 2025 State Pact resource map: Ensure that the agreement is correctly registered and reported within the framework of the State Pact against Gender-Based Violence, to access available financing from the 1.5 billion euros.
Frequently asked questions
What specific service does this agreement guarantee in Ceuta?
The agreement guarantees the provision of the telephone service for information, care and legal advice to women victims of gender-based violence in the Autonomous City of Ceuta. The service must be free and accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in accordance with the requirements of the Istanbul Convention.
How much money supports this type of agreement at the national level?
The State Pact against Gender-Based Violence approved in 2025 is endowed with 1.5 billion euros. This is the budget framework that finances collaboration agreements between the State and the autonomous communities and cities for the provision of victim care services.
Since when has the agreement between the State and Ceuta been in force?
The agreement entered into force on October 1, 2026, although its publication in the BOE took place on October 12, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-21234).
What laws require the provision of this telephone service?
The obligation to have a free telephone line accessible 24/7 derives from the Istanbul Convention (Council of Europe). At the national level, the right of victims to receive adequate information is recognized in the Organic Law 1/2004 on Gender-Based Violence and in the Organic Law 10/2022 on Sexual Freedom.
What does this agreement imply for the Autonomous City of Ceuta?
Ceuta assumes commitments of co-financing, operational management of the service and coordination with the Government Delegation against Gender-Based Violence. It must guarantee the continuous availability of the service, the qualification of care personnel and compliance with the standards of specialized legal advice required by the agreement.
Official source
Consult complete regulation in official source
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-21234
