Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-10-22-Speech-3-274"
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"en.20031022.11.3-274"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, one of the European Union’s primary objectives is guaranteeing freedom of movement. This freedom of movement can only be exercised, however, if the Union also adopts all measures necessary to protect its citizens, especially if they fall victim to a crime, irrespective of their nationality within the EU and also irrespective of the Member State where they fall victim to a crime.
The citizens of the European Union like travelling, and they do a great deal of it, working in other Member States and also exercising their right to freedom of movement in the EU in a variety of other ways. Yet any citizen can fall victim to a crime or a terrorist attack in another Member State, or indeed in their own country. Until now, national legislation has varied widely, as Mrs Angelilli has explained. In other words, two persons who have been victims of a crime in very similar circumstances but in two different Member States may receive wildly varying compensation for similar damage, and in an extreme scenario, a victim may receive no compensation at all. That is why, on behalf of the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, I greatly welcome the Commission’s proposal and thank Mrs Angelilli for her report, which is intended to establish rules for victims of intentional criminal acts or terrorist attacks within the European Union.
With the entry into force of this directive, all EU citizens and all persons who are legally resident in the EU will receive appropriate compensation if they fall victim to a crime. This also means that anyone who is the victim of a crime within the EU will have the right to approach an authority in their own Member State in order to seek assistance. This ensures that victims have easier access to compensation, even if the crime was committed outside the person’s own Member State. It ensures that victims of crime will at last enjoy appropriate protection and compensation, which, paradoxically, is still not given due consideration in many jurisdictions and systems of criminal law to the present day. I am convinced that there will be a substantial majority in favour of this report in the House tomorrow, and I am gratified that this is the case."@en1
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