Brussels, 11/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament is supporting the Belgian proposal to set up a European national contact points network for remedial legal work, which the Parliament is seeking to call the "European Mediation and Remedial Justice Network". Rapporteur, Eva Klampt (Germany Christian Democrat) believes that this network, which should diffuse best practices for direct mediation between victims and offenders, will help to reorientate the justice system on the needs of victims. Its report was approved this week by the EP. According to the Belgian proposal, this network will play the role of analysing and assessing information and practices, facilitate information exchange and organise seminars and encourage research. It will have to cooperate with candidate countries, third countries and NGOs. It is also expected to meet up once every six months. The European Parliament believes that it is crucial to set up a secretariat, overseen by the European Commission and which will situated, as a separate unit, within the European crime prevention network secretariat. The EP considers that it is essential that the network's activities and its secretariat are funded out of the Union budget. The EP opinion is consultative, the decision is in the hands of the Council.