Unique Instrument Of Judicial Cooperation – The European Protection Order

Abstract

With an increasing number of violence cases, involving victims whose situation requires them to leave the state where they initially received protection from their aggressor, maintaining protective measures for these categories of individuals in the state where they come to live or establish residence remains a constant concern of the European Union bodies. Specifically, through a broad legal effort, Eurojust and the European Institute for Gender Equality, in collaboration with the European Judicial Network in criminal matters, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training, and several organizations established at the European level known for their active role in combating violence, have consulted the Member States regarding the level of implementation, in 2025, of Directive 2011/99/EU on the European Protection Order (EPO). The information provided, particularly by the judicial institutions in each Member State directly involved in the implementation of the Directive, revealed that despite the long period since its entry into force and ratification by the Member States, its applicability is limited due to a lack of awareness about the issuance conditions even among judicial personnel, superficial victim information processes, logistical shortcomings, and language barriers. Therefore, even though European legislation in the field of victim protection has been continuously updated, each Member State must become more actively involved in the use of judicial instruments in this area. Judicial cooperation represents the solution for advancing to a higher level in victim protection, a cooperation that can be achieved either directly with Member States or by making unhesitant use of European bodies that can mediate or support this kind of cooperation.