IMPACT Project Kick-off Meeting: Enhancing Victim Support Frameworks in Estonia, Portugal, and Malta

On Thursday, September 19^th, the kick-off meeting for project IMPACT occurred. Taking place at the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union, this inaugural meeting brought together key stakeholders from Estonia, Malta, and Portugal, as well as stakeholders from the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission.

IMPACT – Improving National Victim Support Frameworks in Estonia, Malta and Portugal is designed to ensure enhanced capability of national victim support frameworks in Estonia, Malta and Portugal to the advantage of all victims of crime in those countries. By improving coordination between existing support services and enhancing the capacities of these frameworks, the project aims to make substantial contributions to the well-being of victims of all crime.

The project will accomplish this through a comprehensive methodology that includes stakeholder consultations, collaborative efforts to identify gaps and solutions, a community needs assessment, a mapping of existing services, and a victim survey. The outcomes of these consultations will serve as a basis for creating a National Strategic Framework for implementing victims’ rights legislation in Estonia, a National Victims’ Rights Strategy in Malta, and potential amendments to national laws and policies on victims in Portugal.

Beginning with welcoming words from Martina Portelli, Chef de Cabinet of the Maltese Permanent Representation, and Levent Altan, Executive Director of Victim Support Europe, both speakers set a collaborative tone and expressed their enthusiasm for the project’s goals.

Following this, several key stakeholders gave introductory speeches, including Johannes Boermann, Head of Sector at DG REFORM of the European Commission, Katarzyna Janicka-Pawlowska, European Commission Coordinator for Victims’ Rights, and several representatives from each member state. These representatives each highlighted the significance of enhancing support frameworks in Estonia, Portugal, and Malta. They emphasized the need for a unified approach to address gaps and challenges within these national frameworks, and fostered a spirit of collaboration.

Towards the end of the meeting, participants took part in a workshop, further underscoring the cooperative atmosphere. Each participant reflected on the concrete changes they hope the project to produce and engaged in deeply productive discussions on indicators of success in their own national context.

Aleksandra Ivankovic, Deputy Director of Victim Support Europe, began closing the session with a series of inspiring words, further highlighting a sense of hope for the project’s impact. Eloïse Perche, Policy and Project Assistant at DG REFORM of the European Commission, closed the session with a series of uplifting words, thanking participants and giving a spotlight once more to the collaborative nature of IMPACT.

In light of this pivotal meeting, Eloïse Perche, Policy and Project Assistant, Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) commented: ”It was great seeing everyone so involved and engaged with one clear goal in mind – better understand and thus satisfy victims’ needs. This is only by treating victims as individuals and not numbers that we will be able to make a real impact in their daily life.”

Victim Support Europe extends its gratitude to all participants. We are enthusiastic about the IMPACT project and eagerly anticipate the positive changes it will bring.