National Reports from Desk Research on Procedural Rights

While EU directives set common standards for the protection of procedural rights, their implementation in practice continues to face barriers. What actually happens to these rights at national level, and which countries are finding effective solutions?

To answer these questions, the partnership has conducted comprehensive desk research into how procedural rights are transposed into national law and upheld in practice across six European countries.

Explore the country reports from the desk research for Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Italy. The research analyses both the legal and institutional frameworks governing procedural rights and how they are applied in practice by criminal justice authorities. It focuses particularly on identifying:

• Practical and institutional shortcomings or breaches in the implementation of procedural rights, as reflected in national legislation, jurisprudence, and institutional arrangements.
• Good and promising practices adopted by key stakeholders when interacting with suspects and accused persons, at both practical and institutional levels.

While the primary focus is on procedural rights outlined in the relevant directives, the research also considers related rights addressed in other EU Directives – but only to the extent necessary to clarify the scope and nature of procedural breaches.

What We Investigated

The desk research examined, in each national context:

• National legal frameworks, with particular attention to the transposition of relevant EU procedural-rights Directives into domestic law.
• Judicial and administrative case law, illustrating how procedural safeguards are interpreted, applied, or, in some cases, overlooked in practice.
• Examples of effective, innovative, or rights-protective approaches developed by practitioners and institutions to safeguard the procedural rights of suspects and accused persons.

Taken together, the national reports provide a comparative and evidence-based overview of how procedural rights function in practice across different legal systems. They highlight both systemic challenges and areas of vulnerability, as well as existing strengths and promising practices that may serve as models for improvement. The findings offer a robust analytical foundation for formulating recommendations aimed at strengthening procedural safeguards and promoting more consistent implementation across Europe.

Strengthening Trust and Cross-Border Collaboration

In line with the objectives of Task 4.1, the workshop aimed to build trust, exchange professional experience, and deepen awareness of the Rule of Law within police practice. By working together on shared scenarios, officers not only developed practical competencies, but also gained insight into each other’s professional environments and legal frameworks. The programme concluded with a study visit to the Bratislava Police Department and Police Museum, reinforcing contextual knowledge of Slovak policing.

The workshop forms part of a continued effort to foster cooperation based on communication, transparency, and respect for procedural guarantees, ensuring effective and rights-respecting law enforcement across Europe. The next Cross-Border Workshop for LEAs is planned to take place in Bucharest, Romania in April 2026, and will build on the outcomes of this event, contributing to the broader goals of FULL-PROOF under the JUST programme.

Explore the reports for detailed findings, case-law analysis and practical examples from Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Italy.