Surveying Cross-Border Protection: Assessing the Implementation of Directive 2011/99/EU on European Protection Orders (EPO)
The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (EUROJUST) together with the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) invite professionals working in the police, judiciary, and support services to take part in the following survey concerning the implementation of Directive 2011/99/EU on the European Protection Orders (EPO).
The EPO is designed to protect individuals in a cross-border context by continuing the protection of an individual from one Member State to another. A judicial authority or equivalent authority decides on protective measures. The decision entails the following measures: 1. a prohibition from entering certain locations, 2. a prohibition or regulation of contact, and 3. a prohibition or regulation on approaching the protected person closer than a prescribed distance.
The survey aims to gather the most up-to-date information on the use, pertinence, challenges and best practices concerning the EPO.
The survey builds upon the findings of the European Parliamentary Research Service assessment (PE 603.272) published in 2017, the European Parliament Resolution (P8_TA(2018)0189) that ensued in 2018 and the European Commission report (COM(2020) 187 final) published in 2020. All documents point at the underuse of this judicial cooperation instrument and identify challenges. From an operational perspective, Eurojust casework in the period 2015-2023 confirms the limited use of the EPO.
The outcome of the survey is designed to inform policymakers and practitioners and will be presented at the Eurojust Symposium on victims’ rights in April 2024.
The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. Notably, section B is dedicated to victims’ support services practising in the EU.
Please find here the link to the survey. It will remain active until 4 March 2024.