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Commission gathers input how to best protect the most vulnerable from violence

Which are the most effective measures to combat violence against children? What are the biggest challenges faced by national child protection systems? How can the EU support national child protection systems? To answer these questions, the European Commission has kicked off an online public consultation to help Member States develop integrated and effective child protection systems. The input will result in EU guidance providing information on EU legislation and policies relevant to these systems. It will clarify where the EU can support national child protection systems, and showcase good practices in looking after children in cross-border as well as in national contexts. Any individual or organisation with an interest in child protection can participate in the consultation online until 3 July.

"The EU has the responsibility to keep the most vulnerable in our society from harm. Three years after we first presented the EU Agenda for the rights of the child, words have turned into action: the Commission adopted laws to better protect children who have become victims of crime or who are suspects in criminal proceedings. We have acted to ensure that the missing children hotline is working all over Europe and we have trained guardians and public authorities who are in close contact with unaccompanied minors. Now is the time to move up a gear and make sure all EU and national policies support child-friendly protection systems," said Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU Justice Commissioner. "These systems can only work in the interest of the child if they ensure that everyone dealing with children – in education, health, welfare, justice, civil society and the community – works together to create a protective environment for all children. With today's consultation we want to achieve just that. The best interests of the child must always come first."

Within the EU, child protection systems are primarily the responsibility of each Member State. However the EU does have a mandate to establish common rules in areas where children’s rights come into play, such as their rights in criminal proceedings, free movement within the EU, asylum or trafficking. The EU can also play a role when a child's safety involves more than one country, for example when an unaccompanied child moves from one country to another, or when a child goes missing. As the Commission seeks input on how to best improve national child protection systems, it also takes stock of progress made under the EU's Agenda for the rights of the child which was adopted in February 2011 (IP/11/156). Three years down the line, the Commission has successfully delivered on the 11 priority actions in areas such as child-friendly justice, protecting children when they are vulnerable, shielding children from violence, and child participation. Following Commission action, all of these measures have now largely been put in place (see Annex 1).

The consultation launched last week on child protection systems will gather input so that the EU can, by the end of 2014, issue guidance to Member States in this area building on the results achieved in the course of implementation of the EU Agenda for the Rights of the Child. The guidance will take stock of the various existing EU instruments which may affect the protection of the rights of children and suggest how EU countries can better use or implement those instruments as part of their child protection systems. It will cover all forms of violence as determined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in particular Article 19 (the right to protection from all forms of violence).

Background

In the EU, one in four children live in poverty and are at the greatest risk of harm; children make up one quarter of new asylum seekers every year, 250 000 cases of missing children are reported every year; children make up 15% of identified victims of trafficking, and more than one million children live in institutional care across Europe.

For more information

Public consultation on guidance for child protection systems:

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/fundamental-rights/opinion/140402_en .htm

Children's rights in the EU:

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/rights-child/index_en.htm< /a>

7th and 8th European Forum on the Rights of the Child addressing child protection systems:

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/rights-child/european-foru m/seventh-meeting/index_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/rights-child/european-foru m/eighth-meeting/index_en.htm

Homepage of Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Justice Commissioner:

http://ec.europa.eu/reding

Follow Vice-President Reding on Twitter:

@VivianeRedingEU

Follow EU Justice on Twitter: @EU_Justice

Contacts :

Mina Andreeva (+32 2 299 13 82)

Natasha Bertaud (+32 2 296 74 56)

For the public: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 or by e­mail

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