The Council of the European Union has published a corrigendum correcting an error in the Maltese language version of Directive 2012/29/EU on victims' rights. The document, dated 2 July 2026, fixes a translation mistake in Article 8(3) and replaces the term 'awtur ta’ ksur' (offender of infringement) with 'awtur ta’ reat' (offender of crime) throughout the directive.
The corrigendum ensures that the Maltese text aligns with the original legislative intent of the directive, which establishes minimum standards on the rights, support, and protection of victims of crime. The correction prevents potential misinterpretation of victims' rights and support obligations by Maltese authorities and stakeholders, facilitating uniform implementation across all EU member states.
Directive 2012/29/EU, adopted on 25 October 2012, replaced Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA and sets out binding standards for EU countries to ensure that victims of crime receive appropriate information, support, and protection, and are able to participate in criminal proceedings. The corrigendum is a technical legal act that does not alter the substance of the directive but corrects a linguistic error in one of the EU's 24 official languages.
Stakeholders affected include Maltese victims of crime, who will benefit from clearer legal language; Maltese judicial and law enforcement authorities, who must apply the corrected text; and victim support organisations in Malta, which rely on accurate legal definitions to provide services. The corrigendum has no impact on other language versions or on the directive's implementation in other member states.