Commission gathers input how to best protect the most vulnerable from violence
11 Apr 2014 04:04 PM
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
Full
Article