91998E3324

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3324/98

by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission

(10 November 1998)

Subject: Use of child labour in Europe

According to estimates by the Economic and Social Committee, there are more than 5 million under-aged children working in Europe. Most of these children work in areas such as pornography, the drugs trade and sex tourism.

In the light of the above, what does the Commission propose to do to investigate the real extent of the use of child labour in Europe? How is the Commission seeking by means of Community policies to help in the struggle to eradicate child labour?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(26 January 1999)

The Commission wholeheartedly condemns all forms of child labour, in particular those mentioned by the Honourable Member.

Council Directive 94/33/CE of 22 June 1994 on the protection of young people at work(1) requires the Member States to take the necessary measures to prohibit work by children. They must ensure that young people are protected against economic exploitation and against any work likely to harm their safety, health or physical, mental, moral or social development or to jeopardise their education. This Community directive was to be incorporated into the legislation of the Member States by 22 June 1996, which means that the Member States are obliged to implement all measures needed to ensure effective application of these provisions.

The joint action of 24 February 1997(2) requires the Member States to criminalise and to punish the sexual exploitation of children, including the inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity, the exploitative use of a child in prostitution or other unlawful sexual activities, including pornographic performances and materials.

Furthermore, Europol within its mandate on trafficking in human beings is also active in the fight against such sexual exploitation in co-operation with law enforcement agencies in the Member States.

The Commission also runs the STOP programme which supports public authorities in the fight against trafficking in children and their sexual exploitation, and the Daphne programme which supports non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the fight against all forms of violence towards children, including sexual exploitation.

(1) OJ L 216, 20.8.1994.

(2) OJ L 63, 4.3.1997.