Recap: Online meeting for Directors General and senior managers

Mr. Juan Pedro Lazaro Merino working with the EC DG for Justice and Consumers presented the background for the Justice Programme, its objectives and the Justice Work Programme for 2025 adopted in July 2024. The participants were introduced to action grants aimed to promote judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters, to support transnational projects on judicial training covering civil law, commercial law or fundamental rights, and finally to support transnational projects in the fields of e-Justice, victims’ rights and procedural rights. The presentation highlighted the objectives, priorities, and the types of applicants targeted by these funding opportunities as well as stressed the need to focus on the quality, impact and relevance of the submitted projects to the above mentioned calls.

Mr. Kim Ekhaugen from the Norwegian Correctional Service introduced the participants with the aims of the Norway Grants, emphasizing their goal of reducing social and economic disparities. The main beneficiaries of the NG are 15 Eastern European Countries. He noted that negotiations for the next financial period will begin in 2025, focusing on three key priorities: social inclusion, a green environment, and the justice sector. Within the justice sector, the main areas of focus will include women, juveniles, minors, vulnerable groups, mental health issues, alternative sanctions, and pilot projects designed to serve as models for other countries.

Two practical experiences in drafting and managing projects were shared by Ms. Vesna Zelić Ferencic from the Croatian Ministry of Justice, Public Administration, and Digital Transformation, and Mr. Daniel Danglades from the French Penitentiary Administration. While Daniel focused on the process of preparing for and drafting the EC action grant project emphasizing that probation is an integral part of judicial training, even though it is sometimes overlooked, Vesna highlighted key activities implemented under Norway Grants and Erasmus+ projects, underscoring how diverse funding mechanisms foster innovation and provide valuable learning opportunities for probation staff.