The European Union has reached a provisional agreement to update the Victims’ Rights Directive, aiming to strengthen legal protections and support for victims of crime across member states. The new rules were agreed upon by negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council, following a proposal made by the European Commission in 2023.
The updated directive seeks to enhance victims’ rights during criminal proceedings. Measures include providing information and emotional support at court premises, ensuring access to legal aid for victims with limited financial means throughout the trial, and expediting compensation payments from offenders. Additionally, helplines will be established to offer information, support, and referrals to relevant services. These helplines will be accessible online, via applications, and through an EU-wide phone number: 116 006.
The agreement also introduces options for reporting criminal offences both in person and online. This includes provisions for individuals whose liberty is restricted, such as those in prisons or institutional care settings, as well as non-EU nationals in immigration facilities. Third-party reporting through civil society organizations will also be facilitated.
Support services will be tailored to victims with specific needs based on individual assessments conducted by trained professionals. For those requiring physical protection or facing life-threatening situations—especially victims of sexual violence—healthcare services may include emergency contraception, post-exposure prophylaxis treatment, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and access to abortion where legally available under national law.
Child victims are given particular attention in the new directive. The approach includes child-friendly procedures and aims to provide various services—such as medical examinations, psychological support, video-recorded testimonies, and crime reporting—within the same premises when possible.
Lucia Yar (Renew Europe Group), co-rapporteur for the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, stated: “Parliament fought hard and secured major, concrete gains for victims – from stronger privacy protections to new rights to challenge judicial decisions, for example on legal aid and on the right to be heard. We also achieved a historic milestone: the first-ever reference to abortion in EU legislation, recognising that access to sexual and reproductive healthcare is essential for survivors of sexual violence. This deal is a victory for victims, for women and for a more just and equal Europe.”
Javier Zarzalejos (EPP), co-rapporteur for the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, said: “The new directive is a major achievement that will raise protection standards across the European Union. It facilitates the reporting of crimes to prevent impunity, strengthens protection for the most vulnerable victims, mobilises additional resources, and reinforces victims’ rights and safeguards. This directive clearly demonstrates the European Union’s relevance for its citizens.”
Lina Galvez (S&D), Chair of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee added: “This new directive is very timely. Protecting victims, including protection of their privacy (or non-disclosure of their personal data), support, and access to justice, along with providing sexual and reproductive healthcare to victims of rape, which may include abortion in accordance with national law, has been a long-standing priority of the FEMM Committee and this Parliament. Women and girls already carry the weight of sexual violence; refusing them the care they need would gave been an unacceptable and unlawful escalation of that harm.”
Before coming into effect, this agreement must still receive formal approval from both Parliament and Council.
