Comparative research of the EU
Agency for Fundamental Rights on the
right to interpretation & translation and
the right to information in criminal
proceedings in the EU (INFOCRIM
project)
Alice Hamilton
EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
20 March 2015
FRA’s role and tasks
 Independent, evidence-based advice:
assistance and expertise on
fundamental rights issues to EU
institutions and EU Member States when
they implement EU law
 Information & data collection: sociolegal research & comparative analysis
(Council Regulation (EC) 168/2007
of 15 /02/2007)
Mission to help make
fundamental rights a
reality for everyone in
the EU
 promote dialogue with civil society to
raise public awareness of rights and
actively disseminate information about
its work
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Management Board
Planning and Monitoring, 1/MS + 1CoE +
2 COM
Executive Board
Prepares decisions by MB, advises
Director
National Liaison
Officers
28, respective MS appoints
Director
Scientific
Committee
Appointed by MB
Implements tasks & manages staff
11 independent members
appointed by MB
Fundamental
Rights Platform
Civil society representatives
(links with over 300
organisations)
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EU institutions,
bodies,
offices,
agencies
EU bodies,
offices and
agencies
Evidence gathering
Analysis/
Opinions (again,
input and advice
from stakeholders)
Evidence gathering /
Data collection
Project
formulation
Member State
governments
Evidence gathering
UN,
OSCE/ODIHR,
IGOs
EU Member
States
ASSISTANCE AND EXPERTISE
- evidence-based advice -
bodies, offices,
agencies of the
Member States
National human
rights bodies
Council of
Europe
Cooperation
Mapping policy
needs - problem
identification (with
important input from
stakeholders)
Civil society /
Fundamental
Rights Platform
Public
awareness
raising
Cooperation
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FRA’s evidence-based advice
Comparative reports, surveys, focus
papers, handbooks for legal
practitioners, opinions, online data &
maps, infographics
http://fra.europa.eu/en/publications-andresources/publications
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EU Treaties
Council Reg. 168/2007 15 Feb 2007 (FRA)
MAF: Multi-annual Framework (2013-2017)
9 Thematic Areas
a) Access to justice
b) Victims of crime, including compensation to victims
c) Information society, private life and personal data
d) Roma integration
e) Judicial cooperation, except in criminal matters
f) Rights of the child
g) Discrimination on all grounds
h) immigration, visa and border control and asylum
i) Racism, xenophobia & related intolerance
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Freedoms
Equality
Justice
Cross-cutting
AWP 2014
AWP 2015
AWP 2016
Inter-Agency: Borders, asylum, etc
Severe forms of labour exploit.
Biometric data in large databases
Intelligence and surveillance
HBon data protection
Inter-Agency: Borders, asylum, etc
Severe forms of labour exploit.
Biometric data in large databases
Intelligence and surveillance
Inter-Agency: Borders, asylum, etc
Severe forms of labour exploit.
Biometric data in large databases
Intelligence and surveillance
Social inclusion, migrant particip.
Survey of Jews
LGBT (indicators)
LGBT (survey)
Children with disabilities
Disability indicators
Roma
(e) S’Cool agenda
Children and justice
Antisemitism: data, training, etc
EU-MIDIS II
Surveying LGBT – local authorities
Rights of persons with disabilities
HB on rights of the child
Roma
Antisemitism: data, training, etc
EU-MIDIS II
Surveying LGBT – local authorities
Rights of persons with disabilities
HB on rights of the child
Roma
Free movement
Children and justice
Antisemitism: data, training, etc
EU MIDIS II
Surveying LGBT – local authorities
Rights of persons with disabilities
HB on non-discrimination (update)
Roma
Free movement
Handbook on rights of the child
Child well-being and poverty
WG on hate crime
Victim support services
Freedom to conduct business
Violence against women
C.L.A.R.I.T.Y.
Joined-up governance
Victim support services
Freedom to conduct business
Violence against women
C.L.A.R.I.T.Y.
Fundamental rights survey
Rights of victims of crime – A2J
Prisons and detentions
HB on access to justice
Rights in criminal procedures
Prisons and detentions
HB on access to justice
Violence against women
C.L.A.R.I.T.Y.
Fundamental rights survey
Rights of victims of crime – A2J
Improving access to justice
Rights in criminal procedures
C.L.A.R.I.T.Y.
Fundamental rights survey
Rights of victims of crime – A2J
Improving access to justice
Rights in criminal procedures
Additional activities for all areas
Additional activities for all areas
Additional activities for all areas
Annual Reports
Fundamental Rights Conference
FRA Europe Day-Symposium
Stakeholder, communication, etc
Bodies (MB, SC, etc)
Monitoring and evaluation
Annual Reports
FRA conferences
Stakeholder, communication, etc
Annual Reports
FRA conferences
Stakeholder, communication, etc
Bodies (MB, SC, etc)
Monitoring and evaluation
Bodies (MB, SC, etc)
Monitoring and evaluation
Annual Reports
Fundamental Rights Conference
FRA Europe Day-Symposium
Stakeholder, communication, etc
Bodies (MB, SC, etc)
Monitoring and evaluation
Complimentary data collection
Complimentary data collection
Complimentary data collection
Complimentary data collection
Children and justice
FRA’S projects (annual work programmes) 2013-2016
AWP 2013
Inter-Agency: Borders, asylum, etc
Severe forms of labour exploit.
Data protection, redress
Private v. Public – digital era
Handbook on data protection
7
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INFOCRIM project:
-
Identify and analyse practical barriers
and opportunities to effective
implementation of the directives;
-
Highlight best practices;
-
Identify key recommendations for
further action at the EU and national
levels.
http://fra.europa.eu/en/project/2015/rightinterpretation-and-translation-and-right-informationcriminal-proceedings-eu
FRA requested by the European
Commission to look at specific
rights under the two directives
adopted under the Criminal
Procedures Roadmap (measures
A & B, both of which should by
now be transposed)
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INFOCRIM project
looks at:
procedural
safeguards
practices to
accommodate
needs of vulnerable
suspects/accused
use of
communication
technologies/etools
Issues with
direct relevance
for enjoyment
of access to
justice
complaint
mechanisms
…
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Methodology:
• Mainly desk research, but certain information will be crosschecked with relevant authorities; legal practitioners and civil
society
• FRANET: multidisciplinary research network composed of
contractors in each EU MS who provide relevant data to FRA
to facilitate the Agency’s comparative analyses.
http://fra.europa.eu/en/research/franet
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Project timeline (2014-2016):
Nov 2014: project
initiated
December 2014–
May 2015: research
across EU-28 –
country reports and
promising practices
June 2015 –
September 2015:
Evaluation and
analysis of results
September 2015 December 2015:
drafting of overall
comparative report
and key findings
Late 2015: possible
expert meeting
First half 2016:
quality
assurance/editing
and production of
comparative report
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Results and further information
• Early 2016: comparative report
• More information:
Contact access2justice@fra.europa.eu
• FRA publications all online: http://fra.europa.eu/en/publicationsand-resources
• Access to justice-related publications:
http://fra.europa.eu/en/theme/access-justice
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Your views
• The right to interpretation and translation
in practice – a few questions:
1. Best practices and tools in the area
of LIT services in criminal justice
settings?
2. Challenges in making rights effective
in practice (in the area of LIT services
in criminal justice settings)
3. Other?
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Thank you for your attention!
access2justice@fra.europa.eu
fra.europa.eu