In its 2022 Work Programme, the European Commission announced a possible revision of the victims' rights acquis, in order to improve victims’ access to justice, enhance their rights to information about the available compensation and strengthen their physical protection. The Commission planned to adopt a legislative proposal in the fourth quarter of the year (Q4 2022), which could take the form of a revision of the victims' rights directive or of another legislative instrument.

In June 2022, the European Commission published its evaluation of the victim's rights directive (Directive 2012/29/EU) which aimed at assessing to what extent the directive has achieved its objectives in terms of its implementation and practical application in EU countries. Despite general positive assessment of the directive's role in enhancing the situation of victims across the EU, the evaluation identified a number of shortcomings, e.g. in relation to victims’ access to information, victims’ access to support services and to protection in accordance with each victim's individual needs. It also pointed to the need to enable victims to play a more active role in criminal proceedings and to provide them with easier access to compensation.

In parallel to the evaluation, Commission conducted a public consultation between 8 March and 31 May 2022 to gather citizens' and stakeholders' views on possible policy options to feed into the impact assessment for the revision of the current EU rules.

In September 2022, in its resolution on the situation of fundamental rights in the EU, the European Parliament welcomed the Commission’s decision to organise a public consultation on updating Directive 2012/29/EU, with the aim of effectively enhancing the assistance and protection provided to victims, including the victims of terrorism, and recognising the importance of preserving their dignity. In an earlier 2020 resolution on Security Union strategy, the European Parliament called on the Member States to ensure the full and correct implementation of the Victims’ Rights Directive and other EU rules on victims’ rights.

References

• European Commission, Report on the implementation of Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, COM(2020) 188 final
• European Commission, Evaluation of Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, SWD(2022) 179 final
• European Commission, Supporting crime victims – evaluation of the Victims’ Rights Directive
• European Commission, Criminal justice – EU rules on victims’ rights (update)
• European Commission, Victims' rights in the EU
• European Commission, EU Strategy on victims' rights (2020-2025)
• European Parliament resolution of 15 September 2022 on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2020 and 2021
• European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2020 on the EU Security Union Strategy

Further reading

• Fundamental Rights Agency, Underpinning victims' rights - support services, reporting and protection, February 2023
• Fundamental Rights Agency, Victims' rights as standards of criminal justice - Justice for victims of violent crime, Part I, April 2019
• VOCIARE project, Victim Support Europe, Victims of Crime Implementation Analysis of Rights in Europe, 2019
• European Parliament, IPOL, Criminal procedural laws across the European Union - A comparative analysis of selected main differences and the impact they have over the development of EU legislation, August 2018
• European Parliament, EPRS, The Victims' Rights Directive 2012/29/EU, European Implementation Assessment, December 2017
• European Parliament, EPRS, European Protection Order Directive 2011/99/EU, European Implementation Assessment, September 2017

Author: Martina Prpic, Members' Research Service, legislative-train@europarl.europa.eu