EU justice ministers have given final approval to a new EU law updating victims’ rights rules, including an EU-wide support helpline and measures to make reporting crime easier.
The directive strengthens victims’ rights to information, support and protection, and updates a 2012 EU law covering victims of crime, the Council of the EU announced on Monday.
One change is the introduction of an EU-wide helpline number, 116 006, intended to provide victims with information about their rights, emotional support and guidance on available services. National helpline numbers may continue to operate alongside the EU-wide number.
Member states will also be required to make it easier for victims to report crimes using accessible digital tools when it is in victims’ best interests, including the ability to report offences online and submit evidence electronically.
Child support, legal aid and compensation
The law adds specific provisions for child victims, including child-friendly support services, age-appropriate protection measures, psychological support and the option for interviews to be recorded on video, according to the Council.
Victims who take part in criminal proceedings and cannot afford a lawyer will have access to legal aid under the directive.
The measures also address compensation, with member states required to put stronger arrangements in place so victims who have been awarded compensation during criminal proceedings receive it from the offender.
In cases of violent intentional crime, countries may, under certain conditions, advance compensation if payment is not made within a reasonable time and then seek to recover the money from the offender.
Victims’ contact details will be covered by stronger safeguards to protect personal data.
The directive is due to be published in the EU’s Official Journal in July 2026 and will take effect 20 days later, with member states then given 24 months to transpose — or implement — the rules into national law.
Between 70 million and 75 million people in the EU are victims of crime each year, European Commission estimates cited by the Council show.
The 116 006 helpline receives more than 72,000 calls a year in France, while 14 countries currently have the number in place.
