EU strategy on the rights of the child

 

SUMMARY OF:

European Parliament resolution: Towards an EU strategy on the rights of the child (2007/2093(INI))

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS RESOLUTION?

The resolution is a wide-ranging prospectus of actions and policies put forward by the European Parliament aimed at protecting children's rights, building upon the communication ‘Towards an EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child’ prepared by the European Commission in 2006.

KEY POINTS

The resolution welcomes the Commission’s initiative recognising a political will that children must enjoy the rights set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The resolution calls for the rights of children to be at the heart of all EU policies and external actions and all international agreements to include a legally binding clause respecting the rights of the child.

The strategy should recognise the importance of the family as a basic institution of society for the survival, protection and development of the child, and calls for monitoring, financial resources and annual reports.

Not all EU countries have appointed an ombudsman to uphold children's rights.

Child participation

Children and young people have the right to express their views, with the equal participation of girls and boys.

Violence

Legislation and preventive action is urged to deal with violence, sexual abuse, humiliating punishment and harmful traditional practices, such as genital mutilation or forced marriages. It condemns all forms of physical, psychological and sexual violence, torture, exploitation, taking hostage, trafficking or sale of children or their organs.

Sexual exploitation

The sexual exploitation of children should be considered ‘rape’ when applying legal sanctions, and payment for sex with a minor should be a crime. There should be a more effective legal child protection framework, through institutions such as Europol and Eurojust, to combat sex tourism, child trafficking and paedophilia. EU citizens committing sex tourism crimes outside the EU should be dealt with under a single set of EU criminal laws.

Children at risk

The EU should define any child in a social situation endangering their mental or physical integrity as ‘in danger’. Any child witnessing domestic violence is considered a victim of a crime. Multiple initiatives (information campaigns, sharing of best practices, etc.) are proposed to cover such things as the sale of alcohol and drugs.

Harmful media content

In seeking to prohibit harmful media content, including cyber bullying and violent video games, the resolution acknowledges the growing phenomenon of sharing child pornography or sexual abuse images via mobile messaging. It also calls for the blocking of websites related to sexual abuse.

Juvenile delinquency

Parliament asks for a comprehensive response to ‘juvenile delinquency’ at national and EU level, through prevention programmes and the social integration of young offenders in addition to legal intervention. It also calls for a youth crime prevention plan to address bullying in schools and gangs, and promotes alternatives to prison.

Child poverty and social exclusion

As part of the strategy to fight family poverty, focusing on malnutrition and disease prevention and abuse linked to parents’ social or legal situation, the EU should work to ensure that there are no homeless children or street children in the EU.

Child labour

Children working legally must be paid equally for work of equal value. Slavery, debt bondage and work detrimental to health and safety are condemned.

Adoption

The quality of information, preparation for and processing of international adoptions, and post-adoption services must be improved. Adoption should be allowed in the child’s country or internationally, with residential institutions only a temporary solution.

Migrant children and children in armed conflicts

Special attention should be given to refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant children so that they can claim their rights regardless of the legal status of their parents. Unaccompanied minors are often victims of exploitation by organised crime. Measures are also called for to protect Roma children, as well as child soldiers and the victims of war.

Education and registration

Improvement in the training and education of children, especially girls, and better care for young children are called for. Every child should be registered, respecting the right to receive a nationality or an identity at birth.

MAIN DOCUMENT

European Parliament resolution of 16 January 2008: Towards an EU strategy on the rights of the child (2007/2093(INI)) (OJ C 41E, 19.2.2009, pp. 24-46)

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Communication from the Commission — Towards an EU strategy on the rights of the child (COM(2006) 367 final, 4.7.2006)

last update 13.06.2018