FAIRNESS

The FAIRNESS project aims to promote a balanced and rights-based harmonisation of legal practices across EU Member States (MS) in the application of key EU Directives concerning the rights of suspected or accused persons—particularly in cases involving terror-related crimes or radicalisation. The project focuses on the implementation of Directives 2016/343, 2016/800, 2016/1919, and 2013/48/EU, while exploring their coherence with investigative and preventive measures such as the European Investigation Order (Directive 2014/41/EU) and the European Arrest Warrant (Council Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA). A core focus is the pre-trial stage, where the rights of suspects and accused persons often face critical challenges.

Objectives:

1. Support Member States in aligning national legal practices with EU legislation regarding suspects and accused persons in terrorism-related contexts;
   
2. Assess tensions between the spirit and provisions of the Stockholm Roadmap and actual legal/investigative practices in counter-terrorism;
   
3. Strengthen cooperation among legal authorities, civil society, and media actors in safeguarding fundamental rights during criminal proceedings involving radicalisation or terrorism.
   

Main Activities (5 Work Packages):

• WP1: Project coordination and management;
  
• WP2: Legal case analysis and national questionnaires to map implementation and practices;
  
• WP3: In-depth comparative legal research on the interplay between EU legal instruments and national practices;
  
• WP4: Establishment of 5 Communities of Practice (CoPs) involving legal professionals and experts, and production of training and guidance materials;
  
• WP5: Delivery and dissemination of project results via training courses, media outreach, and international conferences.
  

Target groups (total approx. 1,600 professionals):

• 500 legal professionals: judges, investigative judges, prosecutors, lawyers;
  
  
• 200 law enforcement agents;
  
• 200 prison staff and surveillance judges;
  
• 300 legal and academic experts;
  
• 100 NGO/media professionals;
  
• 100 legal experts in CoPs;
  
• 80 trainers and 25 stakeholders involved in targeted activities.
  

Expected Results:

• Enhanced legal harmonisation and professional knowledge on the rights of suspects and accused in terror-related cases;
  
• Strengthened multi-stakeholder cooperation and sharing of best practices between judicial authorities, civil society, and the media;
  
• Improved capacity of legal professionals to navigate tensions between security-driven measures and fundamental rights protections in pre-trial and investigative stages.
  

The FAIRNESS project contributes to the sustainable development of a fair, harmonised, and legally sound EU criminal justice space—anchored in the protection of fundamental rights, even in the context of counter-terrorism and radicalisation.