Правосъдие, права на жертвите и съдебно сътрудничество

This year’s summary of the FRA Annual report – Highlights 2012 – puts the spotlight on key legal and policy developments in the field of fundamental rights in 2012.

Against a backdrop of rising unemployment and increased deprivation, this FRA Annual report closely examines the situation of those, such as children, who are vulnerable to budget cuts, impacting important fields such as education, healthcare and social services. It looks at the discrimination that Roma continue to face and the mainstreaming of elements of extremist ideology in political and public discourse. It considers the impact the crises have had on the basic principle of the rule of law, as well as stepped up EU Member State efforts to ensure trust in justice systems.

In relation to the European Commission proposal for a Directive on the freezing and confiscation of proceeds of crime in the European Union, the European Parliament requested advice from FRA on the extent to which confiscation of proceeds of crime could go without breaching fundamental rights.

The European Union (EU) and its Member States have undertaken many legislative and non-legislative initiatives in recent years to improve the situation of victims of crime, while work to promote the rights of victims is still ongoing. Some of the key concerns in the field include the role of the victim in criminal proceedings and facilitating access to criminal justice systems: in other words, ensuring that victims are recognised as persons with rights. These rights should be respected and safeguarded by the criminal justice system.

The principle of non-discrimination is firmly established in European Union (EU) legislation and includes provisions relating to access to justice. This report examines the process of seeking redress in cases of discrimination. It provides a detailed analysis of what the EU Member State bodies that deal with cases of discrimination do to support possible victims of discrimination and to offer them redress. It examines the factors obstructing effective remedies, such as the complexity of the complaints system, which discourage people from bringing cases and reinforce victims’ feelings of helplessness

The principle of non-discrimination is firmly established in European Union (EU) legislation and includes provisions relating to access to justice. This factsheet provides an overview of the policy context and key issues from the FRA report on 'Access to justice in cases of discrimination in the EU – Steps to further equality'