EP/Council deal on EU-wide protection for crime victims

Crime victims who have been granted protection in one EU Member State will be able to get similar protection if they move to another, under a draft agreement on the European Protection Order struck by Parliament and Council representatives on Tuesday, after one and a half years of negotiations.

This protection would cover, for instance, victims of gender violence, harassment, abduction, stalking or attempted murder. The deal is expected to be endorsed by EU justice ministers on Friday.

Measures to protect crime victims already exist in all EU Member States but at present they cease to apply if the victim moves to another country. When it takes effect,the European Protection Order (EPO) would enable anyone protected under criminal law in one EU state to apply for the same protection if they move to another EU country.

“The EPO directive is an important step towards the construction of a European area of justice, which will protect women who are threatened, by ensuring their physical, psychological and sexual integrity and their dignity as they move within Europe. Protection of victims and prevention of new crimes need to inspire European criminal law”, said Civil Liberties Committee rapporteur Carmen Romero López (S&D, ES).

“Today is a great day for all those who have suffered violence. A woman who is victim of gender violence and has been granted protection measures against the offender in one Member State, will now have the chance to get the same protection in another EU country. This directive, which has come a long way, will soon be ready to do what it is supposed to do, namely to help victims feel safe across the EU. It is not just for victims of gender violence, but for all kinds of victims”, added Women’s Rights Committee rapporteur Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio (EPP, ES).

All crime victims to be covered
MEPs sought from the outset to make it clearer that the rules should cover all victims of crime, not just victims of gender violence. Most protection measures are granted to female victims of gender violence but an EPO could cover victims of either sex and other crimes too..

The rules would apply to victims or possible victims who need protection “against a criminal act of another person which may, in any way, endanger his life, physical, psychological and sexual integrity […] as well as his dignity or personal liberty”. Such acts would include harassment, abduction, stalking and “other forms of indirect coercion”.
Keeping aggressors away

The proposal says that once a person is granted protection in one Member State under domestic criminal law, s/he may request a EPO to extend this protection to another EU country to which s/he decides to move. It will be up to the Member State of origin to issue the EPO and forward it to the other country.
An EPO may be issued only if the aggressor is banned by the initial country from places where the protected person resides or which s/he visits, or if restrictions are imposed on contact or approaches by the aggressor to the protected person.

This directive would only apply to protection measures taken in criminal matters. However, due to differences among Member States’ legal systems, the country where the person moves may apply other kinds of measures (criminal, administrative or civil), provided they guarantee a similar level of protection.
Protection of victims’ relatives

Thanks to MEPs, an EPO may also be requested to safeguard relatives of a beneficiary of a European Protection Order.
Next steps

The compromise text is expected to be endorsed by EU justice ministers on Friday 23 September. It will then be put to votes in the Civil Liberties Committee and  Women’s Rights Committee at the start of October and by the full Parliament shortly after.
Once the directive is adopted, Member States will have three years to transpose it into national law.

Wide protection for victims: new legislation to cover civil matters
The EPO in criminal matters will be complemented by separate legislation for civil matters. To that end, the Commission proposed in May a regulation on mutual recognition of protection afforded by civil law. The combination of the two instruments (the EPO directive and the regulation) should cover the broadest possible range of protection measures for victims issued in the Member States.
Source: europarl.europa.eu

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First day of Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi’s participation in 66th UN General Assembly

Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi participated on Tuesday 20 September in several working meetings on Libya, the Middle East and peace mediation, in the context of the UN high-level meetings currently taking place in New York.

In the first part of the day, the head of the Romanian diplomacy attended a working breakfast on Peacebuilding through Mediation, hosted by his counterparts from Finland and Turkey. Minister Baconschi spoke of Romania’s interest in this topic, given that this country has a mediation tradition, and that frozen conflicts exist in our neighbourhood. Moreover, he insisted that in the current security context, mediation and conflict prevention are useful instruments to be used more intensely. In this respect, Romania will support a strengthened role of the European Union in peace mediation processes.

At the high-level meeting on Libya hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki‑moon, Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi underscored the fact that Libya’s interim authorities needed strong external support in order to be able to manage the responsibilities incumbent on them in the next period in relation to national reconciliation and ensuring security and basic necessities for all citizens. “Romania firmly backs the Libyan nation in its drive to build a free, democratic society and is willing to share its recent democratization experience with the interim authorities. Specifically, Romania can contribute training programs and expertise for holding free elections, managing the democratic institutions, reforming the legal framework, the judiciary and the education system,” stated Minister Baconschi. The Romanian foreign minister also informed that Romania intended to reopen its embassy in Tripoli as soon as possible.

The meeting of EU foreign ministers with High Representative Catherine Ashton on the Middle East was a good occasion for exchanging views on the Peace Process in the region. Minister Baconschi showed that the best line of action was to have negotiations between the sides resumed. Lasting peace, based on the solution of the two states coexisting in peace and security, can only originate in an understanding between the two sides.“The Middle East Quartet should further play an active role and facilitate the resumption of negotiations. The Israeli side and the Palestinian side must discuss openly all the basic issues, starting from the existing principles,” said the head of the Romanian diplomacy.

Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi also attended a working lunch of the foreign ministers from the European Union and the Russian Federation. The topics approached on the occasion included the situation in North Africa and in the Middle East, Serbia, Afghanistan and Georgia.

The official schedule of the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs also includes several bilateral meetings with other foreign ministers and a meeting with representatives of the Romanian community in New York.

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First day of Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi’s participation in 66th UN General Assembly

Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi participated on Tuesday 20 September in several working meetings on Libya, the Middle East and peace mediation, in the context of the UN high-level meetings currently taking place in New York.

In the first part of the day, the head of the Romanian diplomacy attended a working breakfast on Peacebuilding through Mediation, hosted by his counterparts from Finland and Turkey. Minister Baconschi spoke of Romania’s interest in this topic, given that this country has a mediation tradition, and that frozen conflicts exist in our neighbourhood. Moreover, he insisted that in the current security context, mediation and conflict prevention are useful instruments to be used more intensely. In this respect, Romania will support a strengthened role of the European Union in peace mediation processes.

At the high-level meeting on Libya hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki‑moon, Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi underscored the fact that Libya’s interim authorities needed strong external support in order to be able to manage the responsibilities incumbent on them in the next period in relation to national reconciliation and ensuring security and basic necessities for all citizens. “Romania firmly backs the Libyan nation in its drive to build a free, democratic society and is willing to share its recent democratization experience with the interim authorities. Specifically, Romania can contribute training programs and expertise for holding free elections, managing the democratic institutions, reforming the legal framework, the judiciary and the education system,” stated Minister Baconschi. The Romanian foreign minister also informed that Romania intended to reopen its embassy in Tripoli as soon as possible.

The meeting of EU foreign ministers with High Representative Catherine Ashton on the Middle East was a good occasion for exchanging views on the Peace Process in the region. Minister Baconschi showed that the best line of action was to have negotiations between the sides resumed. Lasting peace, based on the solution of the two states coexisting in peace and security, can only originate in an understanding between the two sides.“The Middle East Quartet should further play an active role and facilitate the resumption of negotiations. The Israeli side and the Palestinian side must discuss openly all the basic issues, starting from the existing principles,” said the head of the Romanian diplomacy.

Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi also attended a working lunch of the foreign ministers from the European Union and the Russian Federation. The topics approached on the occasion included the situation in North Africa and in the Middle East, Serbia, Afghanistan and Georgia.

The official schedule of the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs also includes several bilateral meetings with other foreign ministers and a meeting with representatives of the Romanian community in New York.

Source: mae.ro

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