The main objective of this contract is to set up an EU centre of Expertise for Victims of Terrorism (hereinafter “the EU Centre"). The EU Centre aims at assisting EU Member States in ensuring effective transposition and practical application of the EU rules on victims' of terrorism by making available common assistance mechanisms and resources at Union level. The EU Centre will provide for concrete and practical actions which will have a positive impact on victims of terrorism. In particular, the EU Centre will provide for guidelines and trainings on implementation of the EU rules and will set up lists of the relevant experts available at the national level. At the end of the project all actions of the EU Centre will be evaluated with a view to analyse the necessity and the feasibility of setting up in the future an EU coordination centre for victims of terrorism. The contractor will deliver a report to that effect.

The main objectives of the EU Centre are the following:

(i) to develop guidelines and a training package, and organise training activities. The EU Centre will develop guidelines and training activities on the basis of lessons learnt from the past terrorist attacks. Training activities and train-the trainer activities will be organised for the staff of national authorities and of national victim support organisations about victims' needs and practical aspects of implementation of the EU rules on victims of terrorism;

(ii) to act as a hub of expertise and platform for practitioners dealing with victims of terrorism on all issues related to victims of terrorism. In particular, the EU Centre will set up and maintain lists of national and EU level experts (trained psychologists, lawyers, experts in compensation) and victim support organisations, facilitate access to information about victims' rights and their application in practice and will run a comprehensive website. The EU Centre should in particular develop a specific list gathering psycho-trauma experts specifically trained to deal with post-traumatic syndrome characteristic to victims of terrorism, ready to be deployed, immediately after a terrorist attack to the Member State concerned. The EU Centre will gather experts, research, knowledge and skills from European Union and around the world;

(iii) to assist the European Commission and the European Network of Victims' Rights (hereinafter “ENVR”) in reinforcing operational coordination between Member States and victim associations including assistance in identifying the authorities responsible for victims’ attention and care in each Member State, as well as establishing safe communication channels allowing immediate exchange of information about victims from different Member States. The ENVR is a network consisting of EU Member State professionals (usually from the Ministries of Justice) acting in the field of victims’ rights;

(iv) to evaluate the necessity and the feasibility of setting up of a EU Coordination Centre for Victims of Terrorism.

All actions of the EU Centre of Expertise for Victims of terrorism will be under the steer and close supervision of the commission and in cooperation with the European Network of Victims' Rights.