The European Commission (EC) is currently accepting proposals for the action grants to support transnational projects in the fields of e-Justice, victims’ rights and procedural rights under the Justice Programme (JUST).
Objective
Facilitate effective and non-discriminatory access to justice for all, and effective redress, including by electronic means (e-Justice), by promoting efficient civil, and criminal procedures, and by promoting and supporting the rights of all victims of crime as well as the procedural rights of suspects and accused persons in criminal proceedings.
Themes and Priorities
This biennial call for proposals, under the Access to justice specific objective, covers two priorities:
e-Justice priority
The key objective under the e-Justice priority is to contribute to achieving the goals of the Commission Communication on the Digitalisation of Justice in the EU and the Council European e-Justice Strategy and Action Plan 2019-2023 by supporting the implementation of e-Justice projects at the European and national level (as far as they have a European dimension).
Primary priority will be given to projects aiming at joining or enhancing existing or ongoing e-Justice projects:
Projects facilitating electronic cross-border interaction and communication between judicial authorities, as well as with citizens, businesses and practitioners in judicial proceedings.
Participation in the e-Evidence Digital Exchange System, set up following the Council conclusions on improving criminal justice in cyberspace from 9 June 2016.
Participation in the Find a Lawyer (FAL) search tool hosted on the e-Justice Portal;
Participation in the Find a Notary (FAN) search tool hosted on the e-Justice Portal;
Participation in the Find a Bailiff (FAB) search tool to be hosted on the e-Justice Portal;
Secondary priority will be given to the development of concrete cases on the use of artificial intelligence and distributed ledger technology in the justice area.
Finally, as tertiary priority, other e-Justice projects related to the development of relevant EU policies such as victims’ rights, rights of suspects and accused in criminal proceedings and projects which are in advanced stage of development or already live on the e-Justice Portal at the moment when the call is published could also be financed.
Victims’ rights and procedural rights priority
Projects to be funded under this priority should:
contribute to the effective and coherent application of EU criminal law in the area of the rights of persons suspected or accused of crime;
contribute to the effective and coherent application of EU law in the area of the rights of victims of crime in line with the priorities set up by the EU Strategy on victims’ rights (2020-2025).
In both areas (procedural rights and victims’ rights), actions may include possible future EU initiatives regarding gaps in EU legislation where a further need for EU action is identified. Projects ensuring maximum practical benefits and impact for the target groups will be assessed more favorably than theoretical projects consisting mainly of research and other analytical activities. Actions on access to information, support, protection to victims of war crimes shall also be considered. Successful projects shall ensure easy access to and wide dissemination of their results.
In the area of procedural rights, the main legislative measures concerned include in particular:
Directive 2010/64/EU on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings;
Directive 2012/13/EU on the right to information in criminal proceedings;
Directive 2013/48/EU on the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings and in European arrest warrant proceedings, and on the right to have a third party informed upon deprivation of liberty and to communicate with third persons and with consular authorities while deprived of liberty;
Directive (EU) 2016/343 on the strengthening of certain aspects of the presumption of innocence and of the right to be present at the trial in criminal proceedings.
Funding Information
The indicative available call budget is EUR 10 100 000.
e-Justice priority
Indicative budget: EUR 4 100 000
The EU grant applied for cannot be lower than EUR 100 000. The maximum grant amount is EUR 800 000 per project.
Victims’ rights and procedural rights priority
Indicative budget: EUR 6 000 000
The EU grant applied for cannot be lower than EUR 100 000.
Duration
For the e-Justice priority:
Projects should normally range between 12 and 24 months.
For the victims’ rights and procedural rights priority:
Projects should normally range between 12 and 24 months.
Expected Impact
For the e-justice priority:
Addressing the relevant policy goals set out in the Commission Communication on the digitalisation of justice in the EU;
Improved participation, with the aim of achieving full EU coverage concerning the various e-Justice interconnection projects;
Opportunities allowing Member States to engage in new pilot initiatives, in particular those identified in the European e-Justice Action Plan (2019-2023);
Improved awareness of on-going and future e-Justice activities
For the victims’ rights and procedural rights priority:
Improved knowledge of the legislation and administrative practices related to specific provisions of the EU acquis regulating the rights of suspects and accused persons in criminal proceedings, and increased capacity of national practitioners to address issues related to such rights;
Strengthened cooperation and exchange of information between competent national authorities, NGOs and professional organisations in relation to the rights of persons suspected or accused of crime;
Harmonisation of the administrative practices applicable in relation to the relevant legislation in different Member States;
Reduced risks of breaches of fair trial rights;
Expected results under the area of victims’ rights are:
Increased capacity of national practitioners to address issues related to the rights of victims of crime;
Improved cooperation among the competent national authorities, NGOs and/or professional organisations in the field of victims’ rights, including for compensation in cross-border cases;
Improved public awareness and knowledge about victims’ rights at both EU and national level (including amongst the most vulnerable groups);
Improved knowledge about specific provisions of the EU acquis regulating issues such as referring victims to the relevant support services, victims’ access to information in the area of victims’ rights, individual assessment of victims’ needs, use of procedural means to protect victims during criminal trial, including use of remote hearings and video testimonies;
Compatibility of the national legal framework and administrative practice related to victims’ rights with the relevant EU acquis;
Increased awareness of the problematic of relations between victims and offenders including actions aimed at improving victims’ access to justice and decreased re-offending via tools such as restorative justice.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
be legal entities (public or private bodies)
be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs), excluding Denmark)
non-EU countries
Specific Cases
Natural persons — Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of selfemployed persons, i.e., sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).
International organisations — International organisations are eligible both as coordinators and partners. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them.
Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.
EU bodies — EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.
