The Justice programme is the EU’s funding programme to support judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters across Member States.
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Justice Programme at a Glance

• The Justice Programme is specifically aimed at organisations working in legal empowerment or cross-border justice issues  

• The Justice Programme is competitive so previous EU funding experience is recommended  

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Aims & Objectives

The Justice Programme's goal is to further develop a European Area of Justice based on:

• Rule of law
• Mutual recognition
• Mutual trust

The programme's specific objectives are:

1. Judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters: Support cooperation in civil and criminal matters, improve the effectiveness of justice systems, and ensure enforcement of judicial decisions.
2. ‍Judicial training: Promote EU-wide training for judges, prosecutors, and judicial staff to foster a shared legal and rule-of-law culture.
3. ‍Access to justice: Ensure effective access to justice for all, including victims of crime and those in criminal proceedings, through fair, efficient, and digital procedures.

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What does it support?

The Justice programme provides funding to support judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters such as training to judges and other legal practitioners and effective access to justice for citizens and businesses.

Eligible activities include:

• Training - staff exchanges, workshops, and development of training modules
• Mutual learning - cooperation projects, good practice exchanges, peer reviews, ICT tools
• Awareness-raising - campaigns, conferences, and dissemination of information
• Analytical work - studies, data collection, methodologies, indicators, surveys, and guides

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Who can apply?

• Judiciary and judicial staff
• Representative bodies for the judiciary
• Public authorities
• Judicial training bodies
• Academic and research institutions
• Civil society organisations working in justice and rule-of-law fields

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EU Policy

Read more about EU policy on the topic of Human rights, justice and equality.

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Budget

The programme has a total budget of €300 million for 2021-2027.

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Project Example

COVIS - Court based victim and witness support services

Victim Support at Court was a partner in the Justice Programme-funded project “COVIS - Court based victim and witness support services.” Delivered from 2022 to 2024 by 5 partners in 5 EU countries, the COVIS project aimed to build knowledge and provide tools to establish and deliver quality court based support services for victims and witnesses of crime. Visit the project’s results page to learn more.

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National Contact Point in Ireland

There is no Irish National Contact Point for the Justice Programme. Please contact the Access Europe team with any questions.

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‍Open Calls

‍‍Find open calls for Justice programme.

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‍Want to find out more?

Justice Programme Website

DG Justice Newsletter

Social Media

X: EU Justice

Facebook: EU Justice