Call for proposals for action grants to support transnational projects to enhance rights of persons suspected or accused of crime and the rights of the victims of crime

Topic description

Scope:

Priorities and activities to be co-financed

1. Priorities

The aims of this call are:

(a) to contribute to the effective and coherent application of EU criminal law in the area of the rights of persons suspected or accused of crime (procedural rights priority);

(b) to contribute to the effective and coherent application of EU criminal law in the area of the rights of victims of crime (victims' rights priority).

In both priorities actions may include possible future EU initiatives regarding gaps in EU legislation where further needs for EU action are called for. Projects ensuring maximum practical benefits and impact for the target groups will be more favorably assessed than theoretical projects consisting mainly of research and other analytical activities. Successful project shall ensure easy access to and wide dissemination of its results. Projects monitoring solely the legal transposition of the instruments mentioned below into national law will not be funded, however, projects examining the application of these instruments in practice will be eligible.

(a) Procedural rights priority

The main legislative measures concerned within this priority include the EU procedural rights directives1, and in particular:

- Directive (EU) 2016/800 on procedural safeguards for children who are suspects or accused persons in criminal proceedings;

- Directive (EU) 2016/1919 on legal aid for suspects and accused persons in criminal proceedings and for requested persons in European arrest warrant proceedings.

(b) Victims' rights priority

The main legislative measures concerned within this priority include in particular:

- Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime;

- Council Directive 2004/80/EC relating to compensation to crime victims;

- Directive 2011/99/EU on the European protection order;

- Regulation (EU) No 606/2013 on mutual recognition of protection measures in civil matters;

- Directive (EU) 2017/541 on combating terrorism.

2. Description of the activities

The project should cover one or serveral of the following activities:

- analytical activities, such as data collection and creation of data bases, surveys, research etc.;

- mutual learning, exchange of good practices, development of working methods which may be transferable to other participating countries;

- exchange and provision of information and development of information tools;

- capacity building for professionals;

- facilitating cooperation between competent authorities (including where relevant national experts or agencies dealing with the aspects covered by this call) and/or legal practitioners and/or service providers (including multi-disciplinary networks at EU or international, national, regional or local levels);

- communication activities including dissemination of information about rights and activities raising awareness of the existing rules on rights at EU and national levels, relevant to the priorities of the call;

- training activities, as long as they are of ancillary nature and not the main purpose of the project.

The normal functioning of an organisation or the setting up of a new organisation cannot be co-funded.

3. Expected results

Expected results under the priority (a):

Increased capacity of national practitioners to address issues related to the rights of persons suspected or accused of crime. Where relevant, particular attention should be paid to the specific needs of children involved in criminal proceedings as suspects or accused persons.

Strengthened cooperation and exchange of information between competent national authorities in relation to the rights of persons suspected or accused of crime.

Improved knowledge on the legislation and administrative practices related to specific provisions of the EU acquis regulating the rights of suspects and accused in criminal proceedings.

Harmonisation of the administrative practices in relation to the relevant legislation in different Member States.

Reduced risks of breaches of fair trial rights.

Compatibility of the national legal framework and regulations linked to the rights of persons suspected or accused in criminal proceedings with EU acquis.

Improved cooperation of NGOs and professional organisations in the field of the rights of persons suspected or accused of crime.

Increased awareness of the relevant policy makers on the rights of persons suspected or accused of crime.

Expected results under the priority (b):

Increased capacity of national practitioners to address issues relating to the rights of victims of crime.

Improved cooperation among the competent national authorities, NGOs and/or professional organisations in the field of victims' rights.

Improved public awareness and knowledge about victims' rights at both EU and national level.

Improved knowledge of specific provisions of the EU acquis regulating issues such as referring victims to the relevant support services, victims' access to information in the area of victims' rights, individual assessment of victims' needs.

Compatibility of the national legal framework and administrative practice related to victims' rights with the relevant EU acquis.

Increased number of victims' support organisations providing general and specialist support services to victims of crimes and their family members, in particular in those Member States who currently do not provide such services enough or provide them in insufficient manner.

Increased number of services providing support and protection to the most vulnerable victims in an integrated manner that regroups psycholigical and social aid with a cooperation with police and judicial authorithies.

Increased quality of the services provided by victim support organisations.

Enhanced cooperation among the relevant national authorities responsible for compensation in cross-border cases under the Council Directive 2004/80/EC2 on compensation to crime victims.

Improved access to support services for victims’ claiming compensation.

Increased awareness to the problematic of relations between victims and offenders including actions aimed at improving victims’ access to justice and decresed re-offending via tools such restorative justice.

Improved awareness to the complexity of the victims’ related issues taking into account that offenders may also be victims of crime.