Spain and three other European countries sign agreement in Belgium on Guidelines for Assistance to Victims of Terrorism

The agreement, which is aimed at giving a European dimension to the assistance provided to those persons affected by terrorism, was signed on behalf of Spain by Luis Aguilera, Under-secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, at an event which took place at the headquarters of the Belgian Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. The agreement on the Guidelines for Assistance to the Victims of Terrorism, promoted by Spain and France, contains the following four measures:

• Comprehensive and inter-disciplinary assistance to victims.
• Improved access to information (with the creation of an internet website and a dedicated hotline).
• Improve and harmonise aid and compensation systems.
• Improved coordination between national victim assistance services (with the exchange of good practices, joint training and systematic identification of victim services).

The agreement also contains the proposal to create a committee of experts charged with implementing these measures.

Apart from Luis Aguilera, Under-secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the agreement was also signed by the Minister of State for Justice of France, Juliette Meadel; Minister for Justice of Belgium, Koen Geens, and the Minister of State for European Union Affairs from the Ministry of Justice of Hungary, Krisztiaán Kecsmar.

Prior to the signing of the agreement at the Belgian Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Luis Aguilera took part in the event to celebrate the European Day in Remembrance of the Victims of Terrorism, which was held at the headquarters of the European Commission. After recalling the 193 victims murdered and over 1,800 others injured in the attacks in Madrid on 11 March 2004 and the "unanimous solidarity" of the people of Spain, Luis Aguilera confirmed that "the assistance offered to the victims cannot be limited to when attacks take place, or to the following weeks. The support and recognition given to the victims must be continued over time, for as long as is necessary; and this support and recognition should be different to that afforded to victims of other types of violent crimes, as the victims of terrorism are the symbols of the rule of law".

European policy

Luis Aguilera stressed that the agreement on the Guidelines for Assistance to the Victims of Terrorism "must be the starting point from which to develop a European policy of support to the victims of terrorism which is far more ambitious and structured than the present one".

Along these lines he pointed out that the most recent attacks carried out in Europe have shown that "victims are of different nationalities. This means that for the countries of origin to be able to offer assistance and support, it is necessary for them to be aware, in each case, of the countries from which those affected originate. This is why the Government of Spain has requested the European Commission to promote the creation, in the first half of 2017, of an intergovernmental network to coordinate the information and assistance to victims when they are of different nationalities".

The Under-secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs also stressed that the "Government of Spain has been insisting on the adoption of a International Legal Statute for the Victims of Terrorism at international forums, consisting of a package of rights for the victims and of international obligations for the States, beyond merely a statement of good intent".

Luis Aguilera brought his speech to an end with a clear message: "The victims of terrorism count on our respect as well as on our commitment not to give ground to the barbarity of terrorism, and that we will do everything necessary for victims to feel recognised, helped and protected".