Restorative justice: an agenda for Europe. The role of the European Union in the further development of restorative justice.

Source: (2008) Final report of AGIS Project JLS/2006/AGIS/147. European Forum for Restorative Justice.

This report is written in the context of the European Commission co-funded AGIS project
JLS/2006/AGIS/147, which was awarded to the European Forum for Restorative Justice in
the course of 2006. In the remainder of this introductory chapter, we will describe this project
and its instruments, and we will set out the methodology used in the research work that
preceded the writing of this report.
In Part II of the report, the European restorative justice scene will be described, both in terms
of its appearance in the practical field and in terms of national legal provisions. In addition,
the common needs which may have an influence on international policy making will be
itemised, based on the results of empirical research done. Part III will provide a detailed
overview of the initiatives in the field of restorative justice taken by the three main
international institutions: the Council of Europe, the United Nations and the European Union.
A comparison of the main instruments adopted by these three institutions will be made. In
Part IV, the evolving role of the European Union in the field of criminal justice will be
explored. Finally, Part V will describe which role can be seen for the European Union in the
further development of restorative justice. Concrete ideas and proposals will be formulated. (excerpt)