Brussels, 14/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on Tuesday 13 December, the European Parliament validated the draft directive on the European protection order in criminal matters, which had been put forward by the Spanish Presidency in 2010 and which will allow victims of sexual violence, harassment or attempted murder to see restraining orders against an attacker in one member state enforced in any member state to which the victim may travel. This directive will apply only to measures taken under criminal law, with another proposal - a regulation - tabled by Commissioner Viviane Reding in May of this year to cover civil law aspects.
In practice, once a person enjoys protection in one member state in line with national criminal law, he or she will be able to submit a request for European protection decision to extend that protection to another member state to which he or she wishes to travel. The member state of origin is the one which will make a European protection decision and send it to the other country. “A European protection decision can be taken if the country of origin bans the attacker from going near to where the person who is the subject of a protection measure resides or to places that person regularly goes, or if the restrictions in place concern a ban on contacting or approaching the person with the protection measure”, the Parliament explains. (SP/transl.fl)