European Law and Policy Development
VSE works regularly with European and International Institutions to influence EU and international laws and policies on victims’ rights. We have formal consultative status with the UN’s ECOSOC Committee and the Council of Europe, and we work closely with the European Commission, the European Parliament and various EU Agencies such as the Fundamental Rights Agency.
We inform organisations about future policy needs, gaps in rights and implementation through consultation replies, bilateral meetings, attendance of expert groups and conferences. VSE is regularly invited to speak at conferences and seminars to share our expertise on on victims’ rights and victim support.
- Direct influence on EU legislation (EU Victims’ Rights Directive, combatting terrorism directive, confiscation measures, Combatting Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence Directive, Combatting Trafficking of Human Beings Directive, Child Sexual Abuse Directive);
- Direct input into consultation (EU Parliament, EU Commission, EU Agencies, UN, UN expert groups, national governments).
1. Key VSE Documents published throughout the years to support policies and laws
- Victims Of Crime Model Provisions Paper – VSE’s vision for a revised victims’ rights directive (2023)
- VSE Strategy 2016-2020 (2016)
- Manifesto 2014-2019 (2014)
- Manifesto for Europe (2008)
2. Recently Published VSE’s Documents to support policies and laws
VSE’s Contribution for EU Strategies related to victims’ issues
Regularly the European Commission launched public consultations on on laws and policies currently in development. Civil society is encouraged to share their views by submitting contributions on the European Commission website.
In 2025, VSE submitted the following consultations:
VSE Contribution – European Democracy Shield Feedback
VSE Contribution – Multiannual financial Framework (MFF) 2027-2033
VSE Contribution – European Internal Security Strategy
In 2024, VSE submitted the following consultations:
VSE Contribution – Report on the general data protection regulation
VSE Contribution – Combating child sexual abuse – Review of EU rules – feedback period
In 2023, VSE submitted the following consultations:
VSE Contribution – Commission adoption of a proposal for a revision of Victims’ Rights Directive
VSE Contribution – A comprehensive approach to mental health
In 2022, VSE submitted the following consultations:
In 2021, VSE submitted the following contributions:
In 2020, VSE submitted the following consultations
–At the end of 2019, the European Commission has announced the adoption of two important strategies in 2020: an EU Gender Equality Strategy for 2020-2025 and an EU Victims’ Rights Strategy for 2020-2025.
At the beginning of 2020, the European Commission launched two public consultations to collect feedback from different stakeholders on the proposed Roadmaps. VSE submitted its contributions for both text:
Additionally, VSE submitted the following:
A Journey From Crime To Compensation 2019
In 2019, Victim Support Europe has published the European-wide analysis of victims’ access to compensation: A Journey from Crime to Compensation. This report analyses European Member States’ abilities to provide victim-centric compensation schemes that are fair and appropriate. Victim support organisations and other stakeholders have provided essential evidence of the inner workings of national compensation schemes, their good practices, recommendations for future action, and the current impact on victims.
The World Bank Project, 2018: Ensuring Quality of Victim Support Services in Serbia
In 2018, the World Bank and the Multi Donor Trust Fund for Justice Sector Support (MDTF-JSS), in partnership with Victim Support Europe, conducted the Analysis of victims’ rights and services in Serbia and their alignment with EU Directive 2012/29/EU.
European Parliament Policy Paper on Supporting Victims of Terrorism, 2017
In 2017 VSE prepared a report for the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament on the needs of victims of terrorism: “How can the EU and the Member States better help victims of terrorism?”
3. Projects Analysing the Implementation of Laws
BeneVict Project
The BeneVict project supported the development of a stronger evidence base to advance victims’ rights across the EU. It aimed to assist the European Commission in assessing the implementation of the Victims’ Rights Strategy 2020–2025, while also guiding future EU and national policy and legislative action.
Building on the findings of the VOCIARE project, BeneVict analysed the practical implementation of the Victims’ Rights Directive in 26 EU countries. It identified current gaps in evidence and explored what types of data were still missing but needed to better understand victimisation, its impacts, and the effectiveness of support services.
For the first time, the project quantified the benefits of victim support in four countries, contributing to the case for sustained investment in this area. As a pan-European collaboration, BeneVict brought together experts from across the EU to strengthen victims’ rights through shared knowledge and coordinated action.
Learn more about the BeneVict Project here
Project VOCIARE
The overall aim of this project is to help ensure that the rights established in the Victims Directive are operating in practice. It will achieve this by assisting the EU Commission in its own assessment of implementation as well as providing national stakeholders with evidence of the state of implementation in their own countries.
Learn more about VOCIARE Project in the section previous projects.
Project Victims in Europe, 2009-2010
In 2009/2010, on behalf of VSE, the Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) managed and conducted the Project Victims in Europe, researching the implementation in all EU Member States of the 2001 Framework Decision on the Standing of Victims in Criminal Proceedings. The research covered the implementation both in relation to legislation and practical implication/possibility for victims to access the rights.
