On the 22nd September, at a high-level video conference, the Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders introduced the Commission’s newly appointed Coordinator for Victims’ Rights – Katarzyna Janicka-Pawlowska.
Ahead of the event, Commissioner Reynders said: “Today is an important moment in our work to protect victims’ rights in the European Union. With a new EU-wide Victims’ Rights Platform and a new Coordinator for Victims’ Rights, we are showing clear commitment to carry this work on, and only a few months after the Commission presented the first EU strategy in this area. I welcome the support of the German Presidency as well as our stakeholders, and I look forward to our cooperation going forward.“
Reynders also presented the new Victims’ Rights Platform which will function as a forum for discussion on victims’ rights and is composed of the European Network on Victims’ Rights, the EU Network of national contact points for compensation, the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and civil society.
Background
In June, the Commission adopted the first EU Strategy on Victims’ Rights. This Strategy aims to ensure that victims of crime can access their rights in all EU Member States. Most notably, access to compensation is a major focus of the new Strategy. This new Victims’ Rights platform is an important deliverable following the adoption of the Strategy.
In light of this, LSI has joined the One Voice One Cause campaign launched by Victim Support Europe (VSE) in order to ensure that the new Strategy creates change on the ground by increasing awareness of victims’ rights.