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Within the European Union, there exist various institutions and bodies producing and implementing legislation, policies, funding programs, and other projects in a myriad different fields. The complexity of the setup of the European Union and its bodies allows for an in-depth approach to every aspect of every field, from agriculture and food safety to translation and research to migration and human rights. However, there are also downsides associated with this complexity – it can be hard to navigate through large numbers of different bodies and their websites when looking for information.

There have been efforts to improve the situation and to better consolidate information on certain topics. For instance, the new (beta) version of the European e-Justice Portal provides a relatively easy-to-navigate, user-friendly interface with information organised by topics (and subtopics) rather than by agencies.

There have also been independent projects and collaborations aimed specifically at mapping all the relevant information on specific topics. For instance, a project titled POEMS mapped all EU legislation concerning protection orders in the European Member States. Until now, no similar projects have taken place in the field of victims’ rights. Bringing all this information together contributes towards ensuring victims’ rights are guaranteed all around the European Union.

We have created a comprehensive, user-friendly overview of all laws, policies, and other EU documents which relate to victims of crime. This instrument can be useful to victim support professionals, lawyers, researchers, and even victims themselves by providing all the necessary information on a given topic.

Key EU legislation relating to victims of crime

  • The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

    The Treaty on the functioning of the European Union gives EU citizens the right to non-discrimination on the basis of nationality, move and reside freely...
    Institution: European Commission
    Type of document: Legislation
    Year: 2012
    Topic: Citizenship
    Type of victim: All victims of crime, Victims of discrimination
  • Regulation (EU) No 235/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a financing instrument for democracy and human rights worldwide

    In 2014, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) No 235/2014 establishing a financing instrument for democracy and human rights...
    Institution: European Commission
    Type of document: Legislation
    Year: 2014
    Topic: Human rights
    Type of victim: All victims of crime
  • Resource Package: Tools to advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Gender Equality

    This on-line Resource Package (RP) intends to offer practical guidance on how to promote gender equality and achieve more equitable...
    Institution: European Commission
    Type of document: Resource package
    Year: 2015
    Topic: Gender equality
    Type of victim: Victims of domestic violence
  • Toolkit on Mainstreaming Gender Equality in EC Development Cooperation

    This toolkit is part of a large effort to build capacity for gender mainstreaming in development cooperation of colleagues in...
    Institution: European Commission
    Type of document: Toolkit
    Year: 2004
    Topic: Gender equality
    Type of victim: Victims of domestic violence
  • The Cross-border Justice Directive

    Council Directive 2002/8/EC of 27 January 2003 to improve access to justice in cross-border disputes by establishing minimum common rules...
    Institution: Council of Europe
    Type of document: Agreement
    Year: 2019
    Topic: Cross-border disputes
    Type of victim: All victims of crime, Cross-border victims
  • The EPO Directive

    The EPO Directive – Directive 2011/99/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the...
    Institution: Council of Europe
    Type of document: Agreement
    Year: 2019
    Topic: Victims' rights
    Type of victim: All victims of crime, Victims of violence, Vulnerable victims
  • The Residence Permit Directive

    Council Directive 2004/81/EC of 29 April 2004 on the residence permit issued to third-country nationals who are victims of trafficking...
    Institution: Council of Europe
    Type of document: Agreement
    Year: 2019
    Topic: Organised crime
    Type of victim: Victims of human trafficking
  • The Counter-terrorism Directive

    The Counter-terrorism Directive – Directive (EU) 2017/541 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on...
    Institution: Council of Europe
    Type of document: Agreement
    Year: 2019
    Topic: Terrorism
    Type of victim: Victims of terrorism
  • GDPR

    GDPR – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection...
    Institution: Council of Europe
    Type of document: Agreement
    Year: 2019
    Topic: Data protection
    Type of victim: Victims of cybercrime, Victims of fraud
  • The Child Sexual Abuse Directive

    The Child Sexual Abuse Directive – Directive 2011/93/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011...
    Institution: Council of Europe
    Type of document: Agreement
    Year: 2019
    Topic: Sexual abuse
    Type of victim: Child victims, Victims of sexual abuse

This mapping was last updated in August 2020. If something is not working, please get in touch with us at vse@victimsupporteurope.eu.

Many documents can be found on the following agencies' and organizations' websites:
DG JUST: https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/justice-and-consumers_en
DG HOME: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/index_en
FRA: https://fra.europa.eu/en/about-fra
EIGE: https://eige.europa.eu/
Eurojust: https://www.eurojust.europa.eu/

Finally, there are many funding programs which can be used to apply for funding for projects dedicated to protecting and advancing victims' rights. You may find them here:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes/overview-funding-programmes_en
as well as here: https://ec.europa.eu/health/funding/eu4health_en

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