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An overview of the law concerning protection of victims of crime in the view of the adoption of the Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime in the European Union

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Abstract

Based on his direct experience in the negotiation of the new directive establishing minimum standards for victims in criminal proceedings (Directive 2012/29/EU), the author makes an in-depth analysis of the newly introduced rights and of the amended provisions, leading to an increased level of protection for crime victims in the EU. He explains the legislative context, making a short overview of the existing instruments at Council of Europe and EU level. He provides important insights as regards the negotiation of the text of Directive 2012/29/EU and points out some of the key achievements resulting from its adoption.

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Notes

  1. OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, p. 57.

  2. Published on the website of the United Nations: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/victims.htm.

  3. Published on the website of the United Nations: http://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNTOC/Publications/TOC%20Convention/TOCebook-e.pdf.

  4. Published on the website of the United Nations: http://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNCAC/Publications/Convention/08-50026_E.pdf.

  5. Published on the website of the United Nations: http://www.uncjin.org/Documents/Conventions/dcatoc/final_documents_2/convention_%20traff_eng.pdf.

  6. B. Bohacik, Report on the standing and rights of victims in criminal proceedings, CDPC (2010) 16, published on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/pc-oc/PCOC_documents/CDPC_2010_16%20-%20e%20_Report%20on%20victims_.pdf.

  7. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: https://wcd.coe.int/com.instranet.InstraServlet?command=com.instranet.CmdBlobGet&InstranetImage=595033&SecMode=1&DocId=659298&Usage=2.

  8. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/116.htm.

  9. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: https://wcd.coe.int/com.instranet.InstraServlet?command=com.instranet.CmdBlobGet&InstranetImage=605227&SecMode=1&DocId=686736&Usage=2.

  10. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: https://wcd.coe.int/com.instranet.InstraServlet?command=com.instranet.CmdBlobGet&InstranetImage=608023&SecMode=1&DocId=694280&Usage=2.

  11. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1011109&Site=CM.

  12. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/196.htm.

  13. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/198.htm.

  14. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/QueVoulezVous.asp?NT=197&CM=8&DF=02/01/2013&CL=ENG.

  15. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/QueVoulezVous.asp?NT=201&CM=8&DF=02/01/2013&CL=ENG.

  16. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/210.htm.

  17. Published on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/211.htm.

  18. OJ L 82, 22.3.2001, p. 1.

  19. COM (2009) 16 final, 20.4.2009.

  20. OJ L 261, 6.8.2004, p. 15.

  21. See: Kuczyńska [5], p. 64.

  22. OJ C 115, 4.5.2010, p. 1.

  23. Document INI/2009/2012.

  24. Published on the website of the Council: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/jha/110726.pdf.

  25. OJ C 295, 4.12.2009, p. 1.

  26. OJ L 280, 26.10.2010, p. 1.

  27. OJ L 142, 1.6.2012, p. 1.

  28. Published on the website of the Council: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/jha/122529.pdf.

  29. COM (2011) 275 final, 2011/0129 (COD).

  30. Document 10613/11 COPEN 123.

  31. OJ L 338, 21.12.2011, p. 2.

  32. OJ C 197, 12.7.2000, p. 3.

  33. OJ L 101, 15.4.2011, p. 1.

  34. OJ L 335, 17.12.2011, p. 1.

  35. In this respect EU legislator changed up to now used notion of ‘vulnerable victims’ needlessly which was widely represented through all the instruments in relation to specific categories of victims (such as the Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA, the Directive 2011/36/EU or the Directive 2011/92/EU) replacing it by a new, however, not understandable and confusing notion of ‘victims with specific protection needs’. Although the idea left behind seems to be crystal clear—not to stigmatise victims, it is up to the competent authorities to assess whether there is a real need to provide victim with protection and to adapt appropriate measure to his or her needs. At the end, everything relies on the assessment of the competent authority, whereas the old term highlighted the personal situation of the victim resulting in application of a specific type of protection.

  36. See: Karmen [4], p. 423.

  37. See more of the importance of the said right: Starzyński [7], pp. 189–191.

  38. See: Buczma [1], p. 23.

  39. See Case 9/70 Franz Grad v Finanzamt Traunstein [1970] ECR 825.

  40. Craig, De Búrca [2], pp. 280–281.

  41. See speech of Le Bail [6].

  42. See: Grzelak, Ostropolski [3], p. 141.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DG D—Justice and Home Affairs, Fundamental Rights and Criminal Justice, General Secretariat of the Council, Rue de la Loi 175, 1048, Brussels, Belgium

    Sławomir R. Buczma

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  1. Sławomir R. Buczma
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Correspondence to Sławomir R. Buczma.

Additional information

This article is based on a contribution given at the ERA Annual conference on EU criminal Justice 2012, held on 11–12 October 2012 in Trier. The article conveys the views of the author alone.

S.R. Buczma national delegate to the European Committee on Crime Problems in the Council of Europe (member of the bureau), national expert in the Council of the European Union—under the Polish Presidency in the Council of EU in 2011 chairmen inter alia of the working party on substantive criminal law—subject: draft Directive establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime.

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Buczma, S.R. An overview of the law concerning protection of victims of crime in the view of the adoption of the Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime in the European Union. ERA Forum 14, 235–250 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12027-013-0305-0

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