Brussels, 10/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in Luxembourg on Friday 6 June, EU justice ministers agreed (general approach) on shoring up the protection of children in criminal proceedings, giving them specific guarantees. The European Commission tabled this proposed directive in November 2013. In Europe, the “legal systems are still not adapted to the specific needs and vulnerability of children”, the Commission writes. Every year, nearly 1.08 million minors are involved in criminal proceedings. The Commission's proposal stipulates a requirement for children to be attended by a lawyer; children must be detained separately from adults, in order to prevent ill-treatment and abuse; children should not have to bear the cost of certain guarantees, even if they are found guilty. In other words, they would not be obliged to pay back the cost of certain procedures, such as medical examinations or the audiovisual recording of interviews. The proposal also provides for children to be informed about their rights quickly and to be entitled to have their parents present. The directive also lays down minimum rules for imprisonment, “particularly as regards access to custodial sentences”, with a requirement to explore alternatives to imprisonment beforehand. The partial agreement reached by the ministers paves the way for trialogues under the Italian Presidency, with a date set for late November 2014, once the new committee on civil liberties of the EP has found its feet. (SP)