European Forum for Restorative Justice

EU Legislative Interests

We are currently targeting the following EU initiatives, policies and legislative or non-legislative files: • Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA. • Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA • REPORT of the EU Parliament on the EC proposal for amending Directive 2012/29/EU • Council Decision on the EC proposal for amending Directive 2012/29/EU • COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION of 23.4.2024 on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child • European Parliament legislative resolution of 23 April 2024 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transfer of proceedings in criminal matters • EU Strategy on victims' rights (2020-2025). COM(2020) 258 final. • New EU strategy on the Rights of the Child 2021- 2024. • Council conclusions on alternative measures to detention: the use of non-custodial sanctions and measures in the field of criminal justice (2019/C 422/06). • European judicial training strategy for 2021-2024. COM(2020) 713 final. • EU Directive 2008/99/EC on Environmental Protection through Criminal Law. • Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025. COM/2020/152 final. • LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025. COM(2020) 698 final. • EU Directive 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence Participation in EC public consultations: • EC open consultation on the revision of the Victims’ rights Directive launched in August 2023 • Open consultation Criminal justice – EU rules on victims’ rights (update) launched in March 2022 • Open consultation of the EC - Combating gender-based violence – protecting victims and punishing offenders by submitting our feedback to the proposed Directive on Violence against Women and Domestic Violence • Call for evidence on Criminal justice – EU rules on victims’ rights (update) launched in December 2021 • Commission public consultation on the evaluation of the Victims’ Rights Directive (launched in July 2021) • Commission public consultation on the new EU Strategy on Victims’ Rights 2020 – 2025 (launched in March 2020). • Commission public consultation on the new EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child 2021 - 2024 (launched in July 2020) • Commission public consultation on the EU environmental law – better access to justice (launched in October 2020 ). • Commission public consultation on Environmental crime – improving EU rules on environmental protection through criminal law (launched in February 2021). • Commission open consultation on Combating gender-based violence – protecting victims and punishing offenders (launched in February 2021). • Commission open consultation to the roadmap on Hate speech & hate crime – inclusion on list of EU crimes. • Commission public consultation on Supporting crime victims – evaluation of the Victims’ Rights Directive (2012/29/EU): feedback on Roadmap (launched in December 2020). • EFRJ feedback and recommendations on the EC Recommendation on Integrated child protection systems (May 2024) • EFRJ feedback to the EC concerning the inclusion of restorative justice (RJ) in the new Strategy on Judicial Training (May 2024) • Regulation (EU) 2024/3011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 on the transfer of proceedings in criminal matters

Communication Activities

We are currently involved as partners in the following EU funded projects: - Erasmus+ project "CROSSING PROTECT": https://www.euforumrj.org/en/crossing-protect-2024-2026 Papers: • From survivors to survivors. Conversations on restorative justice in cases of sexual violence (May 2024) • A journey around restorative cities in the world: a travel guide (January 2024) • ACCESS TO RESTORATIVE JUSTICE. Research Brief (2023) • RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM. Policy Brief of the European Forum for Restorative Justice (2022) • Restorative justice in cases of violent extremism and hate crimes. Practice paper by the EFRJ Working Group on Violent Extremism (2021) • EFRJ feedback on the EC proposed amendments to the Victims’ Rights Directive • EFRJ Policy news - https://www.euforumrj.org/sites/default/files/2022-11/EFRJ_Policy_News_Autumn_2022_issues1-2.pdf • EFRJ feedback on restorative justice in the proposed Directive on Violence against Women and Domestic Violence • EFRJ position paper to the EC on the evaluation of the implementation of restorative justice provisions in the Victim’s Rights Directive • EFRJ feedback to EU Strategy on victims' rights (2020-2025) • EFRJ and Terre des Hommes joint position papers on the new EU strategy on the Rights of the Child (2021–2024) • EFRJ feedback on the EU environmental law – better access to justice • EFRJ feedback on the roadmap on Hate speech & hate crime – on the inclusion on the list of EU crimes • Briefing Paper about the Regulation of Restorative Justice in the Directive 2012/29/EU • Restorative Justice in The Victims’ Directive: survey results • Restorative Justice for Victims (infographic) • Practice Guide: Implementing Restorative Justice with Child Victims • EFRJ thematic brief: Restorative Justice and Sexual Violence • EFRJ thematic brief: Restorative Justice and Violent Extremism • EFRJ thematic brief: Restorative Justice and Child Justice • EFRJ thematic brief: Restorative Justice and Alternatives to Detention • Restoring the Future. Towards a restorative environmental justice praxis • EFRJ Manual: Values and Standards for restorative justice practices In 2018 the EFRJ published a Practice Guide on Values and Standards for restorative justice practices to support the field of the restorative justice in Europe by offering this reference point for high quality restorative justice practices and to help the implementation of the Victims’ Rights Directive and the EU strategy on victims’ rights, which call for safeguards to ensure secure participation of victims in RJ processes. Events: We are following the EU policies on violent extremism. We cooperated with the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN): we co-organised with RAN EXIT and RAN RVT an event in Dublin (3-4 December 2019) on RJ approaches relevant for exit work and addressing victims and offenders’ needs. We co-drafted an Ex Post paper (here the link to the paper). European Restorative Justice Policy Network (ERJPN): In 2018, with the support of the Justice Programme of the European Commission, we set up this new network of policy makers with the aim to bring together representatives of the Ministries dealing with restorative justice or related matters in each EU member state and beyond. 22 countries replied positively to our invitation to join the ERJPN, welcoming the creation of this policy network. We organise an annual event during which we inform and discuss relevant international and European policies and legislations: https://www.euforumrj.org/en/european-restorative-justice-policy-network

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

Criminal Justice Platform Europe: Together with other two organisations committed to address criminal justice issues in Europe, the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ) is part of the Criminal Justice Platform Europe (CJPE). Since 2012, CJPE brings together three organisations working in the fields of detention (EuroPris), Probation (Confederation of European Probation, CEP) and Restorative Justice (EFRJ) ‘to reduce re-offending and the impact of crime and to improve methods of working with victims, communities and offenders throughout Europe.’ he CJPE’s members are equally represented. It is a non-statutory collaboration. The Ministry of Justice in Catalonia supports the CJPE and provides meeting and administration resources in the Centre for Legal Studies in Barcelona. We have a memorandum of understanding signed with the European Family Justice Center Alliance and with the CFJ-EN – Child Friendly Justice European Network. We cooperate on a regular level with Victim Support Europe, with the European Forum for Urban Security and with Terre des Hommes.

Organisation Members

EFRJ membership is open to individuals and organisations (non-governmental or governmental), who support the general aims of the EFRJ. Organisational members are governmental departments, institutions, universities or organisations working at the local, regional, national or international level to implement or promote services, research, training or lobbying activities in the field of restorative justice and related areas. Individual members are private persons who support the mission, vision, and objectives of the EFRJ. They can be pioneers in restorative justice (RJ) in their country, or professionals interested in RJ but not necessarily working in an organisation or institution involved in RJ. The members can decide to apply for a full membership status with voting rights or associate membership status (without voting rights). The main decision making body of the EFRJ is the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the members and it meets once a year. The AGM consists of the full members (with voting rights) of the EFRJ. Currently (by 16 July 2024) the EFRJ has 401 members (94 organisations and 307 individuals). A list of organisational members and their presentation can be found in EFRJ website, divided by country: https://www.euforumrj.org/en/our-organisational-members Organisational members are distributed in 28 countries (of which19 EU countries) as follow (updated July 2024): 18 Organisational members in Spain 16 organisational members in Italy 9 organisational members in Belgium 7 organisational members in the UK 4 organisational members in Ireland and the Netherlands 3 organisational members in France, Hungary and Norway 2 organisational members in Albania, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Switerland and US 1 organisational member in Azerbaijan, Canada, Colombia, Czechia, Greece, Latvia, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia