EU Centre of Expertise for Victims of Terrorism

In the past years, terrorism has remained a major threat to security in the European Union. The European Commission is committed to ensuring that victims of terrorism can fully rely on their rights independently of where in the EU a terrorist attack takes place. The EU adopted a solid set of rules on victims’ rights including particular provisions on rights of victims of terrorism that meet more directly their specific needs. This is why learning to deal with victims of terrorism is crucial even before any attack takes place.

What is the EU Centre of expertise for victims of terrorism?

The European Commission set up the EU Centre of Expertise for Victims of Terrorism (the EU Centre) as a two-year pilot project in January 2020 to offer expertise, guidance and support to national authorities and victim support organisations.
The EU Centre helps to ensure that the EU rules on victims of terrorism are correctly applied. It promotes the exchange of best practices and sharing of expertise among practitioners and specialists across borders. It does not provide for direct help and assistance to particular victims of terrorism, but it helps to ensure that national structures offer professional assistance and support to victims of terrorism in every EU country. In February 2023, the EU Centre was prolonged for another two years. The current contract will end in September 2025.

Who is involved?

The EU Centre was set up and run by the European Commission with the support of a consortium of victim support associations led by Victim Support Europe. The consortium carried out the tasks of the EU Centre on behalf of the Commission and acted in a partnership with the European Network on Victims’ Rights, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior and several victim support organisations. 

What does the EU Centre do?

Training and handbooks

On 18 January 2021, the Commission published the EU Handbook on Victims of Terrorism produced by the EU Centre of Expertise for Victims of Terrorism (see EU Handbook under Documents). The EU Handbook aims to assist national authorities and victim support organisations in the practical implementation of the EU legislation, based on lessons learned from responses to previous terrorist attacks.

The EU Centre of Expertise for Victims of Terrorism has also produced 26 National Handbooks which complement the EU Handbook. National Handbooks elaborate on the rights of victims of terrorism in each Member State (see National Handbooks under Documents).

National authorities and victim support organisations in the EU Member States were offered online training on legal and practical aspects of how to ensure support and protection for victims of terrorism.

Guidance Document on the Needs of Victims of Terrorism

The EU Centre of Expertise for Victims of Terrorism has produced a Guidance Document on the Needs of Victims of Terrorism. This Guidance Document is based on the understanding that to respond to terrorist victimisation, it is necessary to not only have a strong legal base, but also to develop responses to terrorist threat that is based on the needs of victims. The Guidance Document looks into the main needs of victims of terrorism: respect and recognition, support and information, access to justice, protection, and compensation and restoration. It also describes the three phases of intervention through which the response to victims’ needs shall be organized: preparation, crisis intervention and long-term response.

Hub of expertise

The EU Centre offers a platform for national authorities and victim support organisations in the Member States to exchange knowledge and experience on rights of victims of terrorism. In particular, those who have already helped victims of terrorism can share their knowledge with their colleagues in the EU countries not directly affected by terrorist attacks. The Hub also promotes an improved flow of information across borders and contributes to the creation of effective response structures for victims of terrorism, in general, and cross-border terrorism victims in particular.

The EU Centre has set up a database with information on experts in different fields like:

• Psycho-trauma experts specifically trained to deal with post-traumatic syndromes characteristic to victims of terrorism;
• Psychologists, lawyers, victim support organisations and first responders.

Contact

EU Centre:

By email: eucvt@victimsupporteurope.eu