(2004/C 78 E/0217)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3048/03

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject:   Coordinating the fight against paedophilia

During the international conference organised by the cybercrime police of the Canton of Ticino in Switzerland the international movement ‘Innocence in Danger’ (based in Paris) announced that following years of intensive work on the part of dozens of non-governmental organisations for the protection of children all over the world, 272 000 paedophile websites containing extremely shocking material have been reported to the police all over the world during the last few years. This means that 272 000 cases should be brought worldwide against ‘persons unknown’ who have disseminated pornographic paedophile material. The results of this research thus reveal the global scale of the phenomenon and its users and throws new light on on-line paedophilia. The volume of images produced is cause for concern and involves millions of children all over the world. At the conference Don Fortunato Di Noto, vice-chairman of the movement and also chairman of the Italian association Meter Online, suggested that action should be focused on identifying the children. But because of some kind of bureaucratic institutional inertia ‘action is not coordinated at European or trans-national level’.

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 2003)

The Commission fully shares the concerns expressed by the Honourable Member about the growing problem of child pornography distributed through the Internet. There is a need for continuous efforts to combat harmful and illegal content on the Internet based on international co-operation amongst governments, particularly law enforcement and judicial authorities, but also between governments and the Internet industry, dedicated hotlines and non-governmental organisations to effectively tackle this horrifying phenomenon.

Primary responsibility for dealing with illegal content (including child pornography) is with the appropriate law enforcement and judicial authorities of the Member States, which co-operate internationally in the fight against child pornography on the Internet through the existing channels of communications, such as Europol and Interpol.

The Union has been a forerunner in the fight against illegal and harmful content since 1996, with an approach agreed unanimously by the Parliament and the Council. The Safer Internet Action Plan adopted by the Council and the Parliament in 1999 (1) is a major element in the Commission's activity in this field. It provides funding for a European network of hotlines allowing users to report illegal content, including child pornography.

The Union's strategy to combat child pornography also consists of legal instruments and practical measures against computer crime and child pornography. These include the Commission proposal for a Council Framework Decision (2) on approximation of laws and sanctions in the field of sexual exploitation of children, with particular reference to child pornography on the Internet (3), and the Council Recommendation of 27 September 1998 (4) on the protection of minors and human dignity and the Council Decision of May 2000 to combat child pornography on the Internet (5).

At the beginning of 2003, the Commission received the final version of the ‘International Child Exploitation Database’ feasibility study, co-funded under the STOP II Programme and run by a project group composed of experts from several Member States. The project group recommended the setting-up of a networked international child sexual exploitation image database, building on the fledgling system at Interpol.

The Commission is not responsible for the actual setting up of such an international database as this is left to the will of the Member States and other involved countries, but finances under the AGIS programme an implementation study for the establishment of this database. To this extent it concluded on 3 October 2003 an agreement with the National Crime Squad from the United Kingdom, aiming at preparing the establishment of a sophisticated networked international database of child-pornography on-line images. The database will be an effective tool for law enforcement in identifying victims and offenders of child sexual exploitation on-line around the world. It will reduce the international duplication of effort and increase international co-operation in achieving these goals.

The Commission believes that the proposed database will have a major impact on the effective policing of this horrendous crime by improving the exchange of information, reducing duplication and significantly raising the analytical capacity.

(1)  OJ L 33, 6.2.1999.

(2)  COM(2000) 854 final.

(3)  The Council reached a common approach on this Commission proposal on 14 October 2002. Two Member States have still parliamentary reservations on the proposal.

(4)  OJ L 270, 7.10.1998.

(5)  OJ L 138, 9.6.2000.