Policy Work

EU Victims’ Rights Platform (VRP). In September 2020, the European Commission invited the EFRJ to become a member of the Victims’ Right Platform, an initiative the European Commission to ensure a more horizontal approach to victims’ rights. The Platform brings together the main European actors involved in victims’ rights and meets through the year to exchange information and discuss specific issues concerning victims’ rights.

Observer status at the Council of Europe (CoE) PC-CP working group. In June 2021, the Council of Europe granted to the EFRJ the observer status on the Council for Penological Cooperation (PC-CP), the Council of Europe working group that works on the standards and principles in the field of execution of custodial and non-custodial penal sanctions and measures. This status gives us the chance to attend Council for Penological Cooperation plenary and working group meetings, engage in discussions and strengthen our relationships with key stakeholders.

UN ECOSOC. In October 2021 the EFRJ was granted and NGO consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This status enables us to contribute more actively by the work of certain UN bodies, including the Commission on Crime prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ). By giving us access to international UN events and through submitting oral or written statements to specific topics we have the opportunity to share expert information and advice on restorative justice.

To help the better implementation of EU and other international legislation related to restorative justice and for strengthening the quality standards of restorative justice services across Europe, one of our strategic goal is to work more closely with national policy makers.

With this purpose, in 2018, we initiated a new network of policy makers, the European Restorative Justice Policy Network (ERJPN), that brings together representatives of the (mainly justice) ministries dealing with restorative justice in each EU member state (and beyond) in order to share experiences, to create links and a forum of discussion.

A further purpose of this network is to make European policy makers aware of new research outcomes, innovative practices and international policy matters regarding restorative justice.

For us it is an opportunity to create a more close link with policy makers, to learn more about the needs in their countries in the development of policy and legislation on restorative justice and, consequently, to target its support in a more effective way. The ERJPN meets at least once a year and the European Forum for Restorative Justice facilitates regular contacts within the network. The participation at this network is by invitation only.

Between 2018 and 2023, representatives of 31 countries/jurisdictions replied positively to our invitation to join the ERJPN, welcoming the creation of this policy network: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany (and Schleswig Holstein), Greece, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (Catalonia, Navarra and Basque Country), Sweden and UK (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). 

The ERJPN is an informal network of police makers of Europe interested in exchanging information and discussions on restorative justice. Joining this network would not imply any expenses or obligations regarding membership in the EFRJ.

If you want to know more, please contact our colleague Laura Hein.