Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-12-11-Speech-1-117"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20001211.7.1-117"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
". – Mr President, at a time when progress is being made in the building of a European area without internal borders, it is important, as your rapporteur underlined, not to forget the thousands of people who every year are victims of criminal offences when they travel on the territory of the European Union. They are often in a difficult situation because they are far away from home and do not know the system or the language of the country in which the offence took place.
The Commission wishes to continue the feasibility study for such a project. It already works to support the networking at European level of the national services for victim support in order to ensure appropriate care of victims, particularly if they do not reside where the offence took place.
The idea of a ‘green number’ will be examined within this context. At this stage, it is perhaps preferable to bring about a working relationship with the services for victim support, rather than putting in a text the principle of a ‘green number’, which would be likely to have no future.
The draft framework decision on which you come to a decision today constitutes a first step in taking into account the situation of victims at a European level. As I have just said, in order to go further within the framework of following up its communication of 14 July 1999, the Commission works on the adoption of concrete measures to support victims, in particular through the support envisaged for the European forum for victim services. In addition, with regard to victims' compensation, the Commission will submit a Green Paper next year.
I am delighted by the favourable response shown by Parliament to this first text on such an important subject, so that the area of freedom, security and justice which we are gradually building may offer our fellow citizens support in situations that are often difficult to live with.
The draft framework decision proposed by Portugal and supported by the French Presidency constitutes a first step in taking into account the situation of victims at the level of the European Union. The Commission welcomes this. The question of the situation of victims of criminal offences in Europe was first mentioned in the Vienna Action Plan and included in the conclusions of the European Council of Tampere. Further, it was the subject of a communication from the Commission on 14 July 1999. Part of the proposals made in this communication to improve the standards and the assumption of responsibility for victims were included in the draft framework decision presented by the Portuguese Presidency and which is submitted to you today.
I acknowledge the work carried out on this text by Mrs Cerdeira Morterero, your rapporteur. It was the subject of difficult discussions in the Council. As you noted, the draft framework decision contains three different types of measures: firstly, it enacts minimum rules with regard to the victim's rights; secondly, it enacts specific rules aiming to take into account the individual situation of those people who are victims of an offence in a Member State other than their State of origin and, thirdly, it encourages the States to develop measures for victim support.
One can be particularly pleased with certain provisions, for example the possibility for victims to lodge a complaint at the place of their residence when they are not in a position to do so in the State where the offence took place.
The Commission does not have any objection to the majority of the amendments proposed by the rapporteur. However, I would like to draw your attention to three points. Several amendments refer to the official languages of the European Union, foreseeing the right of victims to communicate in one of these languages. This mechanism does not, however, appear to be appropriate. It is important to make it possible for the victim to have information in a language they understand. In certain cases it might not be a language of the European Union. In other cases, it might be possible to get the information needed in a language of the Union which is not their own. It is, therefore, more relevant to refer not to a language of the Union but, in a more pragmatic way, to confer on the victim the right to have access to the necessary information in a language that they understand. This could involve in certain cases putting an interpreter at their disposal.
Secondly, Amendment No 49 stipulates that Member States guarantee to victims who so wish the right to remain in the State where the procedure takes place, where it is necessary for the procedure to run smoothly.
This provision is very interesting. It requires, however, a more detailed study in relation to European legislation as regards asylum and immigration for the natives of third countries to the Union. That is why this text was withdrawn from the version under discussion in the Council. The Commission is currently thinking about a specific text on this important subject in order to protect victims as well as – in a number of cases – to facilitate surveys.
Thirdly, the text invites the Member States to create a ‘green number’, functioning 24 hours a day in all the official languages of the Union, in order to make it possible for victims to contact the services for victim support. This is indeed a good idea as it would allow the European citizen who is a victim of a criminal offence, when travelling in the territory of the Union, to feel in concrete terms the added value at European level.
However, on the one hand the framework decision is not the appropriate instrument here and, on the other hand, its implementation involves a consideration that is rather complex. Does it involve having the same emergency number in all the Member States on the model of the fire service or the police force? Does it involve having a centre at European level available 24 hours a day to inform of the possibilities of victim support? Does it involve setting up a service in each Member State?"@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples