ENVR Working Programme 2019

Active support and protection of victims of crime is a high priority for the European Union and its Member States.

Article 26 of the Directive 2012/29/EU on establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime calls Member States to “take appropriate action to facilitate cooperation between Member States to improve the access of victims to the rights set out in this Directive and under national law”. The working programme 2019 of ENVR contributes directly and in a sustainable manner to conformity with the Directive.

ENVR organizes Expert Meetings semi-annually and a Seminar annually for professionals and policy makers of all EU Member States, and for some associated experts and stakeholders. The events provide forum to explore challenges in the implementation and the effective application of relevant EU legislation and to find solutions by developing a common knowledge base with the aim of better access to justice by victims in each Member State.

In the working year 2019, ENVR will primarily focus on:

• better support to victims of terrorism going beyond the directive on combating terrorism; best practice of special support systems in countries that suffered terrorist attacks
• victims’ privacy and data protection, with a special focus on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data
• support to and protection of the most vulnerable victims – special services and procedural safeguards to minor victims with a focus on providing relevant information to children
• better supporting to victims of hate crime
• supporting victims of sexual harassment with a special focus on cyber-bulling
• protecting victims from harmful media exposure.

Meetings may address additional or alternative issues that are of a great interest of participating professionals.

Seminar organized around a specific topic with input from relevant experts with the aim of a deeper focused discussion with and education of professionals. In the year of 2019, the Seminar is organized for supporting and safeguarding of minor victims. The Seminar takes place to coincide with the Autumn Experts Meeting.

The secure interface of the website functions as a virtual conference space for professionals to make the exchange of best practices available between the Expert Meetings, and serves as a publishing tool for best practice, methodology, questionnaires and research.

The topics for research, analysis, study and proposal in 2019 are:

• victim support and cross-border coordination of Member States authorities in terror attacks,
• the limitation the GDPR imposed in practice on the exchange of victim information and cooperation between judicial authorities and victim support organisations
• best practices on supporting and safeguarding minor victims
• revealing the most effective manner to support victims of hate crime
• identifying victims of sexual harassment and best practices on supporting them
• best practices on avoiding harmful media exposure.

Methodological activity may address other issues that are of interest to professionals.