At their Council meeting in Brussels on Monday 4 December, the EU Justice Ministers launched a political debate on the revision of the Victims’ Rights Directive. This revision, proposed in July 2023 (see EUROPE 13221/17), responds to the need to strengthen the rules to better support victims of crime, offering them better access to information, justice and compensation.
The text aims to modernise the 2012 directive, following an evaluation report that highlighted a number of shortcomings, particularly in terms of safety for vulnerable victims and access to information. The aim of the proposal is to fill these gaps and adopt measures that are adapted to changes in society, technology and the justice system.
During the debate, chaired by the Spanish Minister of Justice, Felix Bolaños, the ministers gave priority to the issue of compensation. Another central point was the protection and support of under-age victims, with the suggestion of a multi-institutional approach, bringing together several services for child victims on the same premises.
The Belgian minister, Paul Van Tigchelt, emphasised his commitment to placing victims at the centre of the judicial system, while his German counterpart, Marco Buschmann, expressed reservations about the obligation to provide civil compensation, advocating State intervention upstream. Gunnar Strömmer, the Swedish Minister for Justice, supported the amendments proposed by the European Commission, highlighting the need for flexibility in implementing the rules.
Concerns have been raised by other ministers, such as those from the Netherlands and Austria, about the role of Member States in facilitating compensation and the potential financial burden of these new proposals. The Croatian Minister, Juro Martinović, expressed his support for the objectives of protecting victims, but warned against the ineffectiveness of procedures in the event of a systematic requirement for a civil decision. France stressed the importance of effective compensation and highlighted its model of paediatric reception units for child victims.
The debate also addressed specific issues such as the multi-institutional approach to the protection and support of under-age victims, known as the ‘Barnahus model’ (Children’s House). This is a centralised European approach, integrating criminal investigations and child protection, bringing together all the services concerned in one place to prevent the revictimisation of children.
Some ministers, such as those from Hungary and Lithuania, have stressed the need to leave Member States some room for manoeuvre in setting up this model.
In conclusion, the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, stressed the importance of incorporating the best practices discussed in order to establish new minimum standards. He recognised the need for flexibility in the organisation of these systems and stressed the importance of providing equal rights to victims in all Member States. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)