Childrens Rights in the EU: report 16/03/06 [E/NI/S/W]
A report from Euronet What about us? Children’s Rights in the European Union: next steps includes a comprehensive analysis of existing EU policy and legislation on child rights as well as key issues concerning children.
The report is divided into two parts. Part 1 explores key challenges facing children in the EU today (see Context, page 13). It also describes the EU’s current approach to children, and identifies a number of weaknesses, including limited legal bases in the EU treaties, relative invisibility of children’s interests, lack of overall policy leadership and co-ordination, minimal resources from the EU budget, and lack of information on children at EU level. Part 2 examines in detail specific policy areas affecting children in the EU.
More detailed recommendations on structural issues (e.g. strengthening political support, building institutional structures, investing in children, and monitoring children’s circumstances) are set out in Part 1 (page 30). Recommendations in relation to particular policy themes can be found in Part 2 (page 41).
The report considers the following areas of children’s policy in the EU:
violence against children
child poverty
Institutional care
detention of asylum and refugee children
discrimination
children’s participation
Recommendations include:
In any new revision of the EU treaties or the EU Constitutional Treaty, the Council of Ministers should take a lead in ensuring that children’s rights are included, as set out in Article 3 of the EU Constitutional Treaty, and other relevant articles relevant to children.
Developing an EU children’s rights policy. An ambitious and visionary EU “Children’s Strategy” should be set out by the European Commission, setting real and achievable targets.
Providing leadership on children’s rights. An EU Commissioner or high level representative with responsibility for children should be appointed to provide overall leadership at EU level, supported by a Children’s Rights Unit to implement the Children’s
Strategy and coordinate action across the Commission and between EU institutions, respecting the role of Member States under subsidiarity.
The report can be downloaded at:
http://www.europeanchildrensnetwork.org/WhatAboutUs_gf27967.pdf
