The EU justice ministers will be meeting informally in Logroño (Spain) on Friday 21 July. On the agenda: access to justice, care for victims of crime and organised crime.
Access to justice
The ministers will start their working session by reflecting on ways to improve the accessibility of justice, with a particular focus on people with disabilities.
In line with the priorities of the Disability Rights Strategy 2021-2030, the ministers will examine how to remove the barriers, both practical and legal, preventing people with disabilities from giving evidence and defending their rights in court, but also from participating as judges, lawyers or prosecutors in all types of proceedings.
More generally, the Spanish Presidency stresses that one of its priorities will be to ensure there is clear legal language, “with an emphasis on key issues and adapted to the diversity of European societies”. The impact of digital technology on access to justice will also be discussed.
Victims of crime
In a second stage, the ministers will discuss the care of victims of crime in the EU. However, in July the European Commission unveiled its proposal to revise the directive on victims’ rights, with the aim of closing the loopholes in the legislation (see EUROPE 13221/17).
Madrid specifies, however, that the subject will be addressed “on an industry basis” and “from a perspective sensitive to the specificities of each crime”. The ministers will therefore pay particular attention to victims of gender-based violence (see EUROPE 13221/26), sexual exploitation and terrorism.
The general objective, Spain explains, is to “promote citizen-oriented justice that enables victims to know their rights, ensures accessibility to the means at their disposal, avoids secondary victimisation and provides for adequate avenues of redress”.
The justice system's response to organised crime
In the afternoon, organised crime will be at the heart of the discussions, particularly with regard to the growing use of cryptocurrencies as a means of funding organised gangs. The Spanish Presidency has given priority to this issue (see EUROPE 13217/16), seeking to promote a framework for action enabling judicial authorities to carry out preventive seizures.
And with good reason: organised crime raked in revenues of €139 billion in 2019. Criminal groups often operate across borders and find cryptocurrencies an anonymous way of funding their illegal activities. To combat this trend, the EU has adopted a series of priorities for 2022-2025 as part of the ‘European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats’ (EMPACT), a multidisciplinary, intelligence-led initiative.
In addition to government action, the EU ministers will consider new ways of working with private entities to improve the fight against organised crime. This cooperation could prove invaluable for detecting and countering online criminal activity, particularly in the context of cybercrime. (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve and Nithya Paquiry)