EFRJ Feedback to the European Commission Concerning the Recommendation on Integrated Child Protection Systems

In April 2024, the European Commission adopted the Recommendation on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child aimed to support Member States and other stakeholders in developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems.

The EFRJ is  pleased to see that the European Commission Recommendation on Integrated Child Protection Systems recognised restorative justice as an important approach and practice for increasing child-friendly justice. However, through our EFRJ feedback, it was important to draw the European Commission's attention to the need for a holistic restorative justice approach in all matters involving children.

Restorative justice approaches with children (restorative child-friendly justice) are applicable in various settings where conflicts may occur, including family, schools, and the criminal justice system. Restorative justice is particularly valuable to protect vulnerable children, empower children in identifying and managing emotions to prevent (and/or respond to) conflict and violence, give them a safe space to express themselves and to be heard when dealing with matters relevant to them. To fully implement the dynamics of a restorative child-friendly justice, it is crucial also to work on the promotion of a restorative culture (with language, attitudes, etc.).

Often, restorative justice is seen just as an alternative to detention or as a diversion tool. The EFRJ  calls for a wider, broader and more holistic understanding of restorative justice and its applications, as prevention and response to harm and conflicts. The EFRJ works towards making restorative justice more accessible for children.

EFRJ primary recommendation to the European Commission is consider a broader and more holistic understanding of restorative justice and its applications, as prevention and response to harm and conflicts.  For this aim, the EFRJ recommends specific legislative and policy actions to enhance the accessibility of restorative justice for children, promoting its use as a diversionary measure and as a means to support the recovery and social reintegration of child victims and offenders. In relation to raising awareness amongst justice professionals, EFRJ stressed again the importance of capacity building among them, for example through funding of projects dedicated to this cause.

Working towards a synergy and effective cooperation amongst relevant stakeholders that work in the fields of protection, support and empowerment of children is crucial in the development and implementation of an Integrated Child Protection System. In this regard, the EFRJ further recommends to include restorative justice professionals in the integrated coordinated and multidisciplinary approach to child protection called for by the European Commission in the Recommendation. 

Through projects, policy, training and awareness raising activities, and in cooperation with several stakeholders and experts from the field of child friendly justice, the EFRJ developed an important knowledge on the use of restorative justice with children. We remain at full disposal of the European Commission and the EU Network on children’s rights for any support we can give to the implementation of the Recommendation on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child.

At a policy level, we will continue to advocate for a wider accessibility to restorative justice for children, contribute on relevant public consultations, drafting of policy oriented papers on the field of children’s rights, with a specific focus on child-friendly justice and restorative justice. We will continue our cooperation with the European Commission and the EU Network on children’s rights, that brings together the main actor in the EU in this field.