B4-1000, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005 and 1006/96

Resolution on minors who are victims of violence

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Title VI of the Treaty on European Union and in particular the provisions on judicial and police cooperation and the setting up of Europol,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the rights of the child and on trade in human beings,

- having regard to the declaration and programme of action adopted by the World Congress against sexual exploitation of children for commercial purposes held in Stockholm from 27 to 31 August 1996,

- having regard to the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,

- having regard to the January 1996 Council of Europe Convention on the exercise of the rights of children,

- having regard to the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights,

- having regard to the September 1996 Council declaration on the sexual exploitation of children,

- having regard to the Vienna Declaration of 10 and 11 June 1996 on trafficking in women,

- having regard to previous Council resolutions and declarations on this subject,

A. whereas children are sacred and the sexual exploitation of children is unacceptable and intolerable,

B. whereas the scourge of paedophilia, trade in children and sexual exploitation is constantly increasing, not only in isolated cases but also through transnational networks and sex tourism, which involve extreme violence,

C. whereas the European institutions should review the effectiveness of their current contribution to children's welfare,

1. Shares the grief of the families of the victims and commends their courage and dignity;

2. Considers that combating the sexual exploitation of children must be an absolute priority for all Member States, and the European Union must support their efforts;

3. Notes the limits to national action on this issue and therefore calls on the Member States to make proposals for common action establishing a clear and consistent legal framework allowing police and judicial cooperation capable of breaking up the organized child prostitution networks and to ensure that this framework is properly applied, not least in cases where acts of sexual exploitation are committed by EU nationals in non-member countries;

4. Calls for the introduction of a comprehensive Community action programme, properly funded, to combat sexual offences against children and, in particular, to help implement the measures called for in the Stockholm declaration and draw up general strategies to prevent, combat and punish sexual offences against children both within and outside the Community;

5. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States, each within its sphere of competence, to:

(i) adopt a joint action under Article K.3 of the EU Treaty to set up a centralized register of abducted or missing children, pending completion of the Convention on the European Information System;

(ii) provide Europol with the resources to enable it to conduct active investigations into criminal networks through exchanges of experience and specialized information on organized crime, particularly crime involving children;

(iii) improve judicial and police cooperation to make it possible to recognize and deal properly and consistently with the scourge of paedophilia both within and outside the territory of the Member States;

(iv) introduce training courses for law officers and policemen specializing in matters relating to sexual offences against children;

(v) set up a EU pilot initiative with adequate financial resources in order to consider, explore and prevent, as a matter of urgency, the sexual exploitation of minors and maltreatment of children, particularly where these are linked to paedophile networks, the Internet and other forms of information technology;

6. Urges the Commission to promote and support at national and European level the setting-up and funding of specialist NGOs to facilitate coordination, prevention and information at European level;

7. Calls on the EU Member States to take urgent and practical measures to counteract sex tourism, not only in the country of departure but also the country of destination;

8. Calls on all Member States to ratify and implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;

9. Calls on the Member States to ensure that, within the framework of a structured dialogue, cooperation and coordination in the areas of combating trade in and exploitation of children, with countries that have applied to join the EU, is not only made a priority but also and above all a clear requirement;

10. Calls on the IGC to incorporate into the future revised Treaty a chapter containing provisions on the human rights of children;

11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments of the Member States.