The Belgian Ministry of Justice took the opportunity of the Belgian Presidency of the Council to start a project on the implementation of the Probation Framework Decision. This project started in 2009, is co-financed by the European Commission and realised with the partnership of United Kingdom, Slovakia, Spain, France, Hungary, Germany, Luxembourg and the European Organisation for Probation.

It aimed at facilitating the effective implementation of this instrument by networking legislative experts and practitioners, identifying the main difficulties linked to the implementation of this instrument and disseminating information on national probation systems.

The core activities of this project were:

• The development of a questionnaire which has been distributed by the General Secretariat of Council of the European Union on 14 April 2009. In order to obtain the most exhaustive replies, further clarification and information have been asked to the Member States on 10 December 2010;
• The organisation of a seminar on 8 and 9 July 2010 in Durbuy concerning the legislative and practical implementation of the Probation Framework Decision;
• The dissemination of the gathered information on national probation systems through a book and this website.