http://www.crin.org/docs/Newsletter34_EURONET_Summer2008.pdf
NEWSLETTER 34 - Summer 2008
Editorial by the Secretary General, Mieke Schuurman
Dear Readers,
Welcome to our summer Newsletter 2008. In this newsletter we are happy to share with you a brief update of the work that EURONET has carried out to advocate for children’s rights within the European Union.
Since the last EU Forum on Children’s Rights (March 2008), EURONET, as part of the NGO Child Rights Action Group (CRAG), has been very much involved in speeding up the process towards the development of a children’s rights strategy. A first set of recommendations have been sent to the Commission to feed into a first draft of the EU Strategy on Children’s Rights.
We achieved to get a chapter on children’s rights violations included in the European Parliament own initiative report on Fundamental Rights. We contributed to the EU Budget reform process and to the draft of impact assess guidelines for the European Commission. Thank you to all of our members which have been actively sharing their national expertises for this.
I am pleased to report that EURONET is adding a strong European NGO voice to the tireless campaigning going on across Europe to end all forms of corporal punishment of children. EURONET is working with the Council of Europe to this end and will push for European Union decision-makers to make a public commitment to the elimination of corporal punishment of children.
EURONET is delighted to welcome the Family Child Youth Association from Hungary as its newest member with whom we are looking forward to a strong and fruitful cooperation.
Wishing you all a great summer!
Mieke Schuurman
Secretary-General
European Children’s Network (EURONET)
EU Strategy on Children’s Rights: European Commission Moves Ahead
As the process towards an EU Strategy on Children’s Rights goes on, the Steering group of the European Forum, set up to guide preparations for the European Forum on Children’s Rights, met twice this spring. The Steering group in which EURONET participated, discussed the themes and the organisation of the next European Forum to be held in December 2008. EURONET brought up the topic of combating violence against children. Other possible themes raised at the meeting included child labour, children in armed conflict, poverty, child participation, education, international adoptions. The European Commission announced its intention to organise a round of consultations on a first draft of the Strategy which will be ready by end of July 2008. Inputs from all relevant stakeholders and particularly from children will be consolidated in a final version by June 2009, which should lead to a new Communication setting out the promised European Strategy on Children’s Rights. This finalised document will be passed on to the newly installed European Parliament in June 2009 for an opinion and eventually to the new European Commission, to be installed by November/December 2009.
The Steering Group paid special attention to the issue of child participation to create a European mechanism for making children heard within the European Forum and to consult them on the EU Strategy on Children’s Rights. NGOs, including EURONET, have submitted good practises and sources on child participation to inform a common methodology paper, so that the process of consulting with children will be harmonised and coherent. EURONET hopes that the EU will take up the commitment to engage in a meaningful, safe and inclusive participation of children in the EU Forum and beyond.
For the minutes of the Steering Group meeting, click here.
EURONET, as a member of the Child Rights Action Group (CRAG), a network of Brussels based NGOs cooperating for the realisation of the Strategy, has been closely involved in the development of a children’s rights strategy. In addition, EURONET has submitted initial recommendations to the Commission as an input to the first draft of the EU Strategy on Children’s Rigths. These are cross-cutting rather than policy-specific recommendations with the aim to provide the Commission with a child rights-based framework for the strategy. EURONET would like to see the European Commission making close reference to international guidance while developing the Strategy. For this reason, EURONET final contribution will draw upon an analysis of the General measures of Implementation of the UNCRC in relation to the EU to set out a general framework and on a broad comparative review of the UN concluding observations for each EU Member States to single out key issues of concern across the EU in relation to children rights.
EURONET Gives NGO Voice to the Council of Europe Campaign "Raise Your Hand against Smacking"
On 15 June 2008 EURONET participated in the launch of the Council of Europe (CoE) -wide campaign “Raise your hand against smacking” to abolish corporal punishment of children in all settings in Europe which was hosted by the Croatian Government in Zagreb. The key message of the campaign is to achieve abolishment of corporal punishment of children across Europe through law reform, awareness raising and support for parents.
Giving an NGO voice to the Council of Europe campaign, EURONET called on European Union decision-makers to publicly commit to the elimination of corporal punishment of children. To achieve this, EURONET will later this year ask decision-makers to sign a Statement of Support for the eradication of corporal punishment of children by all EU member States. To read EURONET’s statement. click here.
Regarding a large outreach, the Council of Europe has produced several communication tools namely:
- an animated television spot to be broadcast across Europe.
- a “Questions and Answers booklet on abolishing corporal punishment”
- a brochure on positive parenting.
EURONET supports the Council of Europe campaign within the EU member states and will make use of its materials in its campaign to make the EU a corporal punishment free zone for children.
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Children's Rights in the European Commission's Impact Assessment Guidelines
The European Commission is now issuing guidelines to assess the impact of legislation and policies on specific dimensions. These will be a tool used by all Directorates General when formulating legislation and policies. Following a public consultation launched by the Commission, EURONET and EUROCHILD commented on the draft guidelines and argued that the document fails to address the impact of proposed legislation and policies on human rights and children’s rights in particular. Since the Commission has committed to mainstream children’s rights in the 2006 Communication “Towards an EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child”, EURONET and EUROCHILD called on the Commission to conduct child rights analysis of initiatives which are directly or indirectly affecting them. To know more about the Impact Assessment consultation , click here. To view EUROCHILD and EURONET”s joint contribution click here
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The Irish Referendum: What Next for the Treaty of Lisbon and Children’s Rights?
After the Irish no-vote to the Lisbon Treaty on 12 June 2008, in the EU’s Foreign Ministers’ meeting of 16 June a consensus emerged that the treaty could still be saved. EU Heads of States confirmed this view in the European Council’s meeting on June 20. It was agreed that the ratification process must continue without reservation, since 19 countries had already ratified the treaty and their ratification was just as valid and must be respected just as much as the no vote in Ireland (the only country holding a referendum). It was then suggested to give Ireland time to reflect and propose a possible solution at the next European Council’s summit of 15 October 2008.
Further resistance to the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty came from the Czech Republic, where the Parliament's ratification was suspended after the Senate demanded that the Constitutional Court ruled on its constitutionality (the Court ruling is due in September or October 2008).
As for the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is holding the EU Presidency until end of 2008, the Lisbon treaty should come into force before the next elections to the European Parliament in June 2009. It is anyway unlikely that it will take effect by January 1st 2009 as it was originally scheduled.
EURONET regrets that this will delay the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon which would have given children’s rights a legal base in the EU Treaty for the first time in the history of the EU. The legal base wouldl ensure that children’s rights are mainstreamed in all EU actions, legislations and programmes
For an overview of the different scenarios following the Irish no vote, click here For the Czech position, click here
The French Presidency: What are we expecting for Children’s Rights?
France took over the EU Presidency on 1 July 2008 for six months. During this period, it will be in charge of organizing and chairing the meetings of the Council of the European Union which is rotated between European Union member states.
The French Presidency’s programme sets out four key priorities: energy and the climate, migration issues, agriculture, and security and defence. Looking beyond these four leading policy issues, it aims to make progress in all the major areas of EU action – economic, financial, social and cultural – and on the international stage. Please, click here for the Work Programme of the French Presidency of the European Union.
Children’s issues are addressed in as far as the development of a child alert system is concerned and the protection of children on the internet. As regards the immigration and asylum priority, our member organization Save the Children regrets that the French Presidency has spelt out an economic and economic market approach as opposed to a humanitarian perspective. Children and their specific needs and rights are not mentioned, such as family reunification policies, a recognition of the need to respect the rights under the UNCRC of all children, regardless of their immigration status, the specific needs and rights of separated or unaccompanied migrant children, the use of biometric data in relation to identification of irregular migrants and concrete measures in relation to development and children.
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New Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security will consider children's rights as priority
In May 2008, Jacques Barrot, former European Commissioner for transport, was allocated the portfolio for justice, freedom and security within the European Commission. In a European Parliament’s hearing, on the question of protecting children, a matter raised by Roberta Angelilli (UEN, IT), and the strategy adopted by Parliament in January, Mr Barrot said this was “among his priorities” and he announced that new legislation would be put forward to fight sexual exploitation of children.
Mr Barrot expressed the intention to review the 2003 Council Framework Decision on Combating the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography 2004/68/JHA and to make a Directive in 2009 if the Lisbon Treaty is adopted. A Directive in this area will require Member States to implement the provisions set out at the EU level as opposed to the Framework Decision which leaves Member States the discretion to take measures of implementation. For the 2003 Council Framework Decision on Combating the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography 2004/68/JHA, click here
Fundamental Rights Agency: Children’s Rights discussed with Recently Appointed Director
On 24 June 2008, in a meeting organized by the Social Platform, EURONET met with the recently appointed Director of the Fundamental Rights Agency, Mr. Morten Kjaerum. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is a body of the European Union (EU), in charge of providing the EU and its Member States with assistance and expertise relating to fundamental rights when implementing Community law. Children’s rights have been introduced in the Multi-annual Framework of the Agency. For the Multi-annual framework of the FRA, click here
This year the Fundamental Rights Agency has commissioned a child rights indicators study at the University of Liverpool. Being actively involved in the study, EURONET argued that the FRA should play an active role not only in harmonizing indicators across Europe but also in monitoring data collection once these are available. Mr Morten Kjaerum agreed on testing the child rights’ indicators on the ground and that the FRA could play a leading role in this regard.
In addition, Mr Morten Kjaerum said that FRA research projects should help to develop policy and advocacy at the institutional and civil society levels. The idea is to merge sources and expertise throughout all relevant sectors when dealing with fundamental rights concerns in the EU. The FRA should voice civil society’s critical fundamental rights’ concerns to the EU institutions, in particular for those issues that the EU does not seem to be responsive to. For this reason, Mr Kjaerum intends to launch the Fundamental Rights Platform, which should act as the main channel for FRA’s cooperation with civil society. During the December 2007 meeting about the creation of the Platform, EURONET recommended that the FRA takes the concluding remarks of the meeting into account, when setting up the Platform.
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Bulgaria and Serbia examined by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child examined Bulgaria´s second State periodic report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the right of the Child at its 48th session. Major concerns were raised in respect to the protection of children from violence, particularly corporal punishment, regardless of laws prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings. The Committee recommended that the State party enforces the ban by “a) undertaking public and professional awareness raising; b) promoting non-violent, positive and participatory methods of childrearing and education and reinforcing knowledge among children about their rights to protection from all forms of corporal punishment; and c) bringing offenders before the competent administrative and judicial authorities” (para. 32).
For the concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child to the Bulgarian Government, click here
Recommendations on the prohibition of corporal punishment in law and practice were also brought to the attention of the Government of Serbia, which is a "potential candidate country” of the EU.. The Committee is particularly concerned that corporal punishment in the family remains lawful, and continues to be widely used as a disciplinary method. It urges the Government of Serbia to undertake awareness-raising campaigns and education programmes on non-violent forms of discipline, and to conduct research into the prevalence of corporal punishment of children in the family and other settings and enforce the law. For the concluding observations of the Committee on the rights of the Child to the Serbian Government, click here
UK examined by the UN Committee on the Right of the Child; what do the Children think ?
In view of the examination of the UK Government’s performance in implementing the UNCRC, children and young people had their say on the implementation of the UNCRC through the “Get ready for Geneva project”, organized by the Children’s rights Alliance for England.
A number of young people were trained to become children's rights investigators and speak to other children to get their views, opinions and experiences of the state of children's rights in England. More than 300 children and young people were interviewed by their peers on the different aspects of children's rights. The gathered opinions were presented to the UN Committee on the Right of the Child in Geneva on June 11th 2008 by a delegation of 12 children.
The key issues emerging from the children’s report include the experience of young people being stereotyped and some groups of young people, for example children from traveller communities, facing discrimination. The report explains that young people are not always asked their opinions on decisions that affect them, in particular 47% of young people with separated parents were not asked which parent they wanted to live with and 38% of young people did not have a say on whether to maintain contact with their non-resident parent. In addition, the report includes recommendations to: - give children equal protection from assault, include children's rights education and the UNCRC in citizenship education or as part of PSHEE, calls for government to support families by providing services for children with problems and making family holidays and days-out more affordable.
Shadow reports on the implementation of the UNCRC were also produced by separate NGO for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A link to the final report is available here for England
Organisation Contact Details:
European Children's Network
Avenue des Arts, 1
1210 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: 00 32 02 2170186
Email: europeanchildrenetwork@skynet.be
Website: www.europeanchildrensnetwork.eu
Last updated 8/13/2008 6:57:17 AM