[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

Brussels, 27.2.2008

COM(2008) 106 final

2008/0047 (COD)

Proposal for a

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

establishing a multiannual Community programme on protecting children using the Internet and other communication technologies

(presented by the Commission){SEC(2008) 242}{SEC(2008) 243}

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. INTRODUCTION

From its beginnings as a communication tool mainly for experts and researchers, the Internet and other communication technologies (hereafter referred to as “online technologies” )[1] are now used in homes, schools, businesses and public administrations in most parts of the world. It has been the defining force of the late 20th century and early 21st century.

In the period since the inception of the Safer Internet Action Plan [2], both the technologies and related uses have changed considerably. There has been a strong increase in the accessibility of the technology, development of the tools and services has given rise to a variety of uses that are more extensive and diverse than what was foreseen at the time when the Action Plan was established, and children and young people are often the first to make use of the new opportunities. The emerging technologies and applications offer great opportunities for participation, creativity and expression to all members of society.

Children are active users of online technologies, and increasingly so. The possibilities for interactivity and participation in the online environment can improve the quality of life for many young people. However, this also means that they may have to make choices that they would not normally have to make, in many cases related to their own safety. Protecting children from harmful content and conduct online and curbing the distribution of illegal content is a continuing concern for policy- and law-makers, industry and end-users, particularly parents, carers and educators.

Although children and young people are expert users of online technologies and aware of both risks and ways of dealing with them, they are not all mature in the sense of being able to evaluate the situations that they encounter and the possible consequences their decision might have. At the same time they will seldom share their online-related experiences with their parents or carers and will only turn to them for help as a last resort. These factors are a challenge to the people responsible for keeping children safe.

Among the most serious risks to children related to online technologies are cases where children are harmed directly, as victims of sexual abuse, which is documented through photographs, films or audio files and then transmitted online (child abuse material); when contacted by people who will befriend them in order to commit sexual abuse (grooming); and when victims of bullying in the online environment (cyberbullying).

The European Union has been a forerunner in the protection of children online since 1996, and the successive Safer Internet programmes[3] have been a major feature of the Commission’s activity in this field. They constitute the only pan-European initiative addressing issues relating to child protection in the online environment and comprise several actions that have proved their effectiveness.

They have achieved the following:

- A European network of hotlines - reporting points where members of the public can report illegal content

- A European awareness-raising network and "Safer Internet Day" co-ordinated by the network. Each year, an increasing number of countries have taken part in this in Europe and around the world

- Information for parents through independent testing of the effectiveness of filtering software

- Support for industry self-regulatory initiatives in the area of content rating and mobile phones

According to the final evaluation of the Safer Internet Action Plan, the European Union is now seen as a “pioneer which identified at an early stage the issue of illegal and harmful content on the Internet as a serious and important political question of a global dimension”[4].

The Commission also adopted a Communication on the implementation of the Safer Internet plus programme in the period 2005-2006.[5] In preparation for this proposal, an impact assessment process took place between April and July 2007, including an online public consultation and targeted consultations[6].

They all confirmed that the actions carried out have been effective, while stressing the need to adapt them to new needs. In particular, child protection in the online environment continues to be a great concern, and the challenges are further aggravated by the emergence of new technologies and services, resulting in new uses and risks, notably for children.

The new programme will facilitate cooperation and exchange of experiences and best practice at all levels on issues relating to child safety online, and could further enhance this role and thus ensure European added value. The proposal takes full account of these ideas.

The new programme will not extend its scope to new subjects, such as health issues, network security and data protection, as they are already covered by other EU policy and funding initiatives. However, many of these ideas are included as part of the awareness message and by making appropriate references to the existing instruments.

Above all, the programme is designed to be able to take into account currently unknown future developments in the online environment and the resulting threats will become increasingly important in the years ahead. Being able to design appropriate actions for protecting children in the online environment will be essential during the period 2009-2013.

2. PROMOTING SAFER USE OF THE INTERNET AND OTHER COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

2.1. The legislative context

The issues relating to child protection online are global and complex: everybody can generate content for everybody else to see and content can be accessed from all over the world; the production of child abuse material may take place in one country, the distribution may be hosted in a second, and the material may be downloaded from all over the world; and abusers have been known to travel over country borders to meet up with children for abuse after having met them online.

From a legal point of view an essential distinction has to be made between what is illegal on the one hand and harmful on the other, since they require different methods, strategies and tools.

What is considered to be illegal varies from country to country, is defined by the applicable national law and is dealt with by law enforcement and other government bodies. Despite many common features, there are significant differences of detail between the laws of Member States and of third countries where content may be produced or hosted.

Harmful content means content that parents, teachers and other adults consider to be harmful for children. Definitions of such content vary across countries and cultures, and can range from pornography and violence to racism, xenophobia, hate speech and music, self-mutilation, anorexia and suicide sites. Exposure to harmful content can cause psychological trauma to children and lead to physical harm if a child is motivated to inflict harm on other children or on him/herself. Member States differ in sensitivity (exposure of nudity, sexual activity, violence, etc.) and in how seriously the exposure of children to potentially harmful content is viewed. In some countries legal provisions exist restricting distribution of harmful content to adults only, but there are also noticeable differences in detail between the laws of Member States and of third countries.

A variety of means exist to deal with harmful content , all of which need to be used in combination in order to increase their effectiveness: enforcement of legal provisions, self-regulation, parental control tools, awareness-raising and education, to name but a few.

In both areas, the primary liability of content and service providers is still largely a matter of national law. However, certain Europe-wide standards have been established, clarifying legal issues through various recommendations and directives. The most relevant for the proposed programme are:

The Recommendation on the protection of minors and human dignity in audiovisual and information services [7] (1998) makes recommendations and gives guidelines on protection of minors. This was followed by the Recommendation on the protection of minors and human dignity and on the right of reply [8] in 2006, which takes into account recent technological developments and the changing media landscape.

The Audiovisual Media Services Directive , adopted in December 2007. The Directive modernises the "Television without Frontiers" Directive, and extends beyond television broadcasting to cover all "audiovisual media services", and includes rules for the protection of minors.

The Council of Europe Convention on cyber crime [9] (2001) refers to “offences related to child pornography”. It aims to facilitate international cooperation in the detection, investigation and prosecution of cyber crime and calls for a common basis for substantive and procedural law and for jurisdiction. It was followed by the Council of Europe Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (July 2007), which establishes forms of sexual abuse of children as criminal offences: sexual abuse, child prostitution, child abuse material, “grooming” of children for sexual purposes and “sex tourism”[10].

The EU Framework Decision on child pornography [11] (2004) sets out minimum requirements for Member States in the definition of offences and appropriate sanctions concerning the production, distribution, dissemination, transmission, making available as well as acquisition and possession of child abuse material.

The Commission’s Communication Towards a general policy on the fight against cyber crime [12] (2007) is aimed at strengthening operational law enforcement cooperation in the field of online child sexual abuse material, improving international cooperation.

The Commission’s Communication Towards an EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child [13] (2006) addresses internal and external policies on children’s rights in a coherent way, fully consistent with the already existing Community action plans and programmes. The EU "Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child" [14] (2007) serve as a framework for protecting the rights and integrity of children in third countries.

2.2. Links with other Community initiatives

The implementation of the proposed programme will take into account actions launched under other programmes and initiatives, and build on and complement them so as to avoid duplication and maximise impact. These include:

- Prevention of and Fight against Crime

- Daphne III Programme

- Media Literacy

- Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (2007 to 2013).

2.3. Future developments

The developments over the last few years have been difficult to anticipate, and it is equally difficult to predict future developments. However, some main trends emerge:

2.3.1. Evolving technological landscape

Technologies, communication networks, media, content, services and devices will increasingly undergo digital convergence . Devices and platforms are already “talking to one another”, content is becoming available in new, diverse formats and can increasingly be delivered independent of location or time, and personalised to individual citizens’ preferences or requirements. Improvements in networks, faster broadband, combined with new compression techniques, are creating new and faster distribution channels and triggering new content formats and services as well as new forms of communication.

Emerging new technologies encompass ever-increasing processing power and storage capacity of computers, broadband networks allow distribution of rich content requiring high bandwidth, such as video transmission, and the increased capacity of the latest “3G” generation of mobile phones allows distribution of video content and access to the Internet, as do certain game consoles.

Children are often the first to take up and use new technologies. The changes in the online environment will also mean new uses of the technologies, and as a consequence the risks to children and young people will change. The challenge is to understand these changes in time and to develop counterstrategies as new risks emerge.

At the same time, risks in the online and offline environment are converging , and although most children and young people are aware of potential risks and of precautions, they do not necessarily take the necessary precautions or act in the safest way when they communicate in the online environment. For example, the possible harm to children playing games (for instance concerning games of a violent or sexual nature) will be the same whether they are played online or on game consoles at home.

2.3.2. Increase in amount and seriousness of illegal content

The amount of illegal material circulated online is increasing and the characteristics of the illegal material online are becoming more serious. In the UK, during the period 1997-2005, the number of sites with child abuse material increased by 1 500 percent[15] and there was a four-fold rise in material depicting the most severe abuse[16]. Domestically produced material is also replacing material for commercial use. In addition, the children being abused for the production of this material are getting younger, and the number of new children seen in this material is increasing.

The consequences for the children abused and depicted in the material are severe. Interpol’s Child Abuse Image Database contains 550 000 images of 20 000 individual children. Of these, only around 500 of these children have been identified and rescued in the time since the database was established in 2001[17].

2.3.3. Remaining “generation gap”

Children and young people are in the forefront of taking up new technological developments and opportunities. They are often expert users — they can be far more advanced than their parents and teachers — and will not ask them for advice or turn to them for help other than in the most serious of cases[18]. The gap is thus widening between children and young people’s use of online technologies and perception of risks, on the one hand, and adults’ understanding of their use, on the other. This poses a challenge for law-makers, authorities and industry in contributing to creating a safe online environment for children, as well as for raising awareness, in empowering children and young people to use the technologies in a safe way, and for empowering parents, teachers and carers to give appropriate guidance based on their own experiences.

2.4. Conclusion

There is a continued need for actions dealing with illegal content online, promoting a safer online environment and ensuring public awareness of the risks and precautions to be taken in the online environment – all of which are part of the existing Safer Internet plus programme. There is also a need for the scope of the programme to be extended a) so as to focus particularly on protecting vulnerable children in the online environment, in particular against "grooming" (where a person befriends a child for sexual abuse) and cyberbullying, b) to provide all concerned with more knowledge of the ways children use new technologies.

3. A NEW PROGRAMME

3.1. Objectives and approach

The objective of the programme will be to promote safer use of the Internet and other communication technologies, particularly for children, and to fight against illegal content and harmful conduct online.

Compared to Safer Internet plus , the scope of the programme no longer includes action against unsolicited commercial electronic mail (spam), which raises issues for users irrespective of their age and is dealt with by other Commission actions.

To achieve this objective, the programme will focus on practical help for the end-user, particularly children, parents, carers and educators.

The programme will seek to involve and bring together the different stakeholders whose cooperation is essential, but who do not necessarily always come together unless the appropriate structures are put in place.

This includes content providers; Internet service providers; mobile network operators; regulators; standards bodies; industry self-regulatory bodies; national, regional and local authorities responsible for industry, education, consumer protection, families, law enforcement, children’s rights and child welfare; and non-governmental organisations active in consumer protection, families, children’s rights and child welfare.

This Decision respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular Articles 7, 8 and 24. It is specifically aimed at safeguarding the physical and mental integrity of children and young persons in agreement with Article 3 of the Charter.

3.2. Actions

The programme will have four actions: reducing illegal content and tackling harmful conduct online; promoting a safer online environment; ensuring public awareness; and establishing a knowledge base.

3.2.1. Action 1: Reducing illegal content and tackling harmful conduct online

This action was already the first action of Safer Internet plus . Its scope is extended to include grooming and cyber-bullying.

The activities are aimed at reducing the amount of illegal content circulated online and dealing adequately with harmful conduct online, with particular focus on online distribution of child sexual abuse material, grooming and bullying. It is proposed that funding be provided for contact points which facilitate the reporting of online illegal content and harmful conduct. These contact points should liaise closely with other actions at national level, such as self-regulation or awareness-raising and cooperate at European level to address cross-border issues and exchange best practice.

Further activities will be aimed at stimulating the development and application of technical solutions for dealing with illegal content and harmful content online, and at promoting cooperation and exchange of best practice among a wide range of stakeholders at European and international level.

Different mechanisms and different expertise may be required to deal with harmful online conduct such as bullying and grooming. The programme will aim to tackle psychological, sociological and technical issues related to these issues, and will aim to stimulate cooperation between stakeholders. Actions relating to these issues might also be integrated into the other actions.

3.2.2. Action 2: Promoting a safer online environment

This action combines two of the actions of Safer Internet plus, one aimed at providing parents with tools (user empowerment) and the other at encouraging self-regulation.

The activities will aim to bring together stakeholders to find ways to promote a safer online environment and to protect children from content and conduct that may be harmful for them. It will encompass stimulation of stakeholders to take responsibility, and cooperation and exchange of experience and best practice between stakeholders at European and international level; it will encourage the development and implementation of systems of self-regulation and will aim to equip users with instruments and applications adequately supporting them in dealing with harmful content.

A new element is that a specific focus will be given to stimulating the involvement of children and young people, with the aim of better understanding their views on and experiences with using online technologies and benefiting from their contributions when designing awareness actions, tools, materials and policies.

3.2.3. Action 3: Ensuring public awareness

The activities will be aimed at increasing the awareness of the public, in particular children, parents, carers and educators, about opportunities and risks related to the use of online technologies and means of staying safe online.

Actions will be taken to promote public awareness by providing adequate information about possibilities, risks and ways to deal with them in a coordinated way across Europe and by providing contact points where parents and children can receive answers to questions about how to stay safe online. Activities will encourage cost-effective means of distributing awareness information to a large number of users.

This action was already a major element of Safer Internet plus . On the basis of lessons learned, additional efforts will be made to encourage delivery of the awareness message to children through the channel of schools.

Specific attention will be given to the development and/or identification of effective awareness-raising instruments, methods and tools which, in cost-efficient way, can be replicated throughout the network. Actions will also aim to ensure exchange of best practices and cross-border cooperation at European level.

3.2.4. Action 4: Establishing a knowledge base

This action is new, although some activities which were carried out under Safer Internet plus (Eurobarometer survey, EU Kids Online thematic network) already contributed to the knowledge base.

Changes in the online environment and new trends in the use of the technologies happen fast. There is a need to create and build up a knowledge base for adequately addressing both existing and emerging uses, risks and consequences, and mapping both quantitative and qualitative aspects in this context. The acquired knowledge will feed into the implementation of the programme as well as into designing adequate actions for ensuring online safety for all users.

Actions will be aimed at coordinating investigation activities in relevant fields within and outside the EU and developing knowledge concerning the (evolving) ways children use online technologies, associated risks and the possible harmful effects the use of online technologies can have on them, including technical, psychological and sociological issues. The studies under this action can also concern awareness-raising methods and tools, assessment of co- and self-regulatory schemes, different technical and non-technical solutions, as well as other relevant emerging fields.

The above actions will not include research activities, which can be carried out under the Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (2007 to 2013). The latter provides an area on youth related changes in lifestyles and consumption; this would allow research to be carried out in the field of internet safety for children[19].

3.2.5. International cooperation

International cooperation will be encouraged as an integral part of each of the actions, according to the priorities to be laid down.

4. LEGAL BASIS

The legal basis will be Article 153 of the EC Treaty, on consumer protection, which was the legal basis agreed by the European Parliament and the Council for the original Safer Internet Action Plan in 1999[20], for the two-year extension of the Action Plan in 2003[21] and for the Safer Internet plus programme[22].

2008/0047 (COD)

Proposal for a

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

establishing a multiannual Community programme on protecting children using the Internet and other communication technologies

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 153 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission[23],

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee[24],

After consulting the Committee of the Regions,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty[25],

Whereas:

(1) Internet penetration and the use of communication technologies such as mobile phones is still growing considerably in the Community and offers great opportunities, such as participation, interactivity and creativity, to all citizens alike. Risks to children and abuse of the technologies continue to exist and, because of changing technologies and societal behaviours, new risks and abuses continue to emerge. In order to encourage exploitation of the opportunities and to take advantage of the positive benefits offered by the Internet and other online technologies, measures are also needed to promote their safer use.

(2) The “i2010 — A European Information Society for growth and employment” strategy[26], developing the Lisbon strategy, seeks coherence across the Commission’s information society and media policies in order to reinforce the major contribution of information and communication technologies to the performance of the Member State economies. One of its objectives is the creation of a Single European Information Space offering affordable and secure high bandwidth communications, rich and diverse content and digital services.

(3) The Community legislative framework addressing the challenges of digital content in the Information Society includes provisions on the protection of minors[27], on protection of privacy[28] and on the liability of intermediary service providers[29]. The Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA of 22 December 2003 on combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography[30] sets out minimum requirements for Member States in the definition of offences and appropriate sanctions. Building on Council Recommendation 98/560/EC of 24 September 1998 on the development of the competitiveness of the European audiovisual and information services industry by promoting national frameworks aimed at achieving a comparable and effective level of protection of minors and human dignity[31], the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on the protection of minors and human dignity and on the right of reply in relation to the competitiveness of the European audiovisual and on-line information services industry[32], sets out guidelines for the development of national self-regulation, extends the scope to include media literacy, the cooperation and sharing of experience and good practices between self-, co- and regulatory bodies and action against discrimination in all media.

(4) There will be a continued need for action both in the area of content potentially harmful to children and in the area of illegal content, particularly child abuse material. The same applies to children becoming victims of harmful and illegal conduct leading to physical and psychological harm and to children being enticed to imitate such conducts causing harm to themselves and others.

(5) Reaching international agreement on legally binding rules is desirable, but will not be achieved rapidly. Even if such agreement is reached, it will not be enough in itself to ensure implementation of the rules or to ensure protection of those at risk.

(6) Decision No 276/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 January 1999 adopting a Multiannual Community Action Plan on promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies by combating illegal and harmful content primarily in the area of the protection of children and minors[33] (the Safer Internet Action Plan 1998-2004)[34] and Decision No 854/2005/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 establishing a multiannual Community Programme on promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies[35] (the Safer Internet plus programme 2005 to 2008) have provided Community financing which has successfully encouraged a variety of initiatives and has given European added value, as demonstrated by the programme evaluations submitted to the European Parliament, the Council and the Committee of the Regions[36].

(7) In addition to the findings of the evaluations of the predecessor programmes, a series of Eurobarometer surveys and a public consultation have clearly identified the need to maintain the activities for reporting illegal content and for awareness raising in the Member States.

(8) Evolving technologies, changes in the ways the Internet and other communication technologies are used by adults and children and shifts in societal behaviours are leading to new risks for children. The knowledge base that can be used for designing efficient actions needs to be strengthened in order to better understand these changes. Several measures and actions will have to be combined in a multi-faceted and complementary way; this will include for example the further development of supporting technologies and the promotion of best practice for codes of conduct embodying generally agreed canons of behaviour or cooperation with the industry on agreed objectives.

(9) International cooperation is essential given the global nature of the problem. Illegal content may be produced in one country, hosted in a second, but accessed and downloaded all over the world. International cooperation, which has been stimulated through the Community networking structures, will need to be reinforced in order to protect children better against cross-border risks involving third countries. An exchange of best practice between European organisations and organisations in other parts of the world can be mutually advantageous.

(10) The measures that the Commission is empowered to adopt under the implementing powers conferred on it by this Decision are essentially management measures relating to the implementation of a programme with substantial budgetary implications within the meaning of Article 2(a) of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission[37]. Such measures should therefore be adopted in accordance with the management procedures provided for in Article 4 of that Decision.

(11) The Commission should ensure complementarity and synergy with related Community initiatives and programmes.

(12) This Decision should lay down, for the entire duration of the programme, a financial framework constituting the prime reference for the budgetary authority, within the meaning of point 37 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management[38].

(13) Since the objectives of the proposed actions cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States given the transnational character of the issues at stake and can, therefore, by reason of the European scope and effects of the actions be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

(14) This Decision respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular Articles 7, 8 and 24 thereof,

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Objective of the programme

1. This Decision establishes a Community programme to promote safer use of the Internet and other communication technologies, particularly for children, and to fight against illegal content and harmful conduct online.

The programme shall be known as the “Safer Internet” programme (hereinafter “the Programme”).

2. In order to attain the overall aim of the Programme, the following lines of action shall be addressed:

(a) reducing illegal content and tackling harmful conduct online;

(b) promoting a safer online environment;

(c) ensuring public awareness;

(d) establishing a knowledge base.

The activities to be carried out under these lines of action are set out in Annex I.

The Programme shall be implemented in accordance with Annex III.

Article 2

Participation

1. Participation in the Programme shall be open to legal entities established in the Member States.

2. The Programme shall be further open to the participation of:

(a) legal entities established in European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries which are members of the European Economic Area (EEA), in accordance with the conditions laid down in the EEA Agreement;

(b) legal entities established in accession countries and candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Community programmes established in the respective Framework Agreements and Association Council Decisions;

(c) legal entities established in countries of the Western Balkans and the European neighbourhood, in accordance with the provisions to be determined with those countries following the establishment of Framework Agreements concerning their participation in Community programmes;

(d) legal entities established in a third country being a party to an international agreement with the Community, under the terms or on the basis of which it makes a financial contribution to the Programme;

(e) international organisations and legal entities established in third countries other than those mentioned in points (a), (b), (c) and (d) under the conditions set out in Annex III.

Article 3

Competences of the Commission

1. The Commission shall be responsible for the implementation of the Programme.

2. The Commission shall draw up a work programme on the basis of this Decision.

3. The Commission shall act in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 4(2) for the purposes of the following:

(a) adoption and modification of the work programme, including determination of the priority areas for international cooperation;

(b) any departure from the rules set out in Annex III;

(c) implementation of measures for evaluating the programme.

4. The Commission shall inform the Committee referred to in Article 4 of progress in the implementation of the Programme.

Article 4

Committee

1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be three months.

3. The Committee shall set out its rules of procedure.

Article 5

Monitoring and evaluation

1. In order to ensure that Community aid is used efficiently, the Commission shall ensure that actions under this Decision are subject to prior appraisal, follow-up and subsequent evaluation.

2. The Commission shall monitor the implementation of projects under the Programme. The Commission shall evaluate the manner in which the projects have been carried out and the impact of their implementation in order to assess whether the original objectives have been achieved.

3. The Commission shall report on the implementation of the action lines referred to in Article 1(2) to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, by [two and a half years from date of publication] at the latest.

The Commission shall submit a final evaluation report at the end of the Programme.

Article 6

Financial provisions

1. The Programme shall cover a period of five years from 1 January 2009.

2. The financial reference amount for the implementation of the Programme for the period from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013 is hereby set at EUR 55 million.

The annual appropriations for the period 2009 to 2013 shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective.

3. An indicative breakdown of expenditure is given in Annex II.

Article 7

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament For the Council

The President The President

ANNEX I ACTIONS

Introduction

The objective of the programme is to promote safer use of the Internet and other communication technologies, particularly for children, and to fight against illegal content and harmful conduct online.

To achieve this objective, the programme will focus on practical help for the end-user, particularly children, parents, carers and educators, by encouraging multi-stakeholder partnerships.

The programme has the overall aim to promote safer use of the Internet and other communication technologies (hereafter referred to as “online technologies” ), especially by children, promote the development of a safe online environment, reduce the amount of illegal content disseminated online, tackle potentially harmful conduct online and ensure public awareness of online risks and precautions.

In order to ensure a coherent approach to risks, where content and services may be accessed and used both online and offline, such as in the case of video games, the programme may address both types of access and use.

The programme will be implemented through four general action lines:

1. Reducing illegal content and tackling harmful conduct online

The activities are aimed at reducing the amount of illegal content circulated online and dealing adequately with harmful conduct online, with particular focus on online distribution of child sexual abuse material, grooming and bullying. The main overall actions planned to be taken are:

1. Providing the public with contact points for reporting online illegal content and harmful conduct. Activities should ensure that these contact points are effective and visible for the public, liaise closely with other actions at national level, and cooperate at European level to deal with cross-border issues and to exchange best practice.

2. Tackling harmful conduct online, in particular grooming and bullying. Activities will aim to tackle online grooming, the process by which an adult befriends a child with the intention of committing sexual abuse, and bullying. Actions will deal with technical, psychological and sociological issues related to these issues and will promote cooperation and coordination between stakeholders.

3. Stimulating application of technical solutions for dealing adequately with illegal content and harmful conduct online. Activities should encourage the development or adaptation of effective technological tools to deal adequately with illegal content and tackle harmful conduct online, for general use by stakeholders.

4. Promoting cooperation and exchange of information, experience and best practices between stakeholders at national and European level. Activities will aim to improve the coordination of stakeholders involved in countering the distribution of illegal content and harmful conduct online and encourage the participation and engagement of these stakeholders.

5. Enhancing cooperation, exchange of information and experience in fighting online illegal content and harmful conduct at international level. Activities will aim to improve cooperation with third countries, harmonise approaches in dealing with illegal content and harmful conduct online at international level and encourage development of common approaches and methods of work.

2. Promoting a safer online environment

The activities will aim to bring together stakeholders to find ways of promoting a safer online environment and protecting children from content that may be harmful for them. The main overall actions planned to be taken are:

1. Enhancing cooperation, exchange of information, experience and best practice between stakeholders . Activities will aim to improve cooperation, harmonise approaches in creating a safer online environment for children and enable best practices and methods of work to be exchanged. Actions will aim to equip stakeholders with an open platform for discussion of the issues linked to promoting a safer online environment and ways of protecting children from potentially harmful content across different platforms.

2. Encouraging stakeholders to develop and implement adequate systems of self-regulation . Actions will encourage the creation and implementation of self-regulatory initiatives and encourage stakeholders to take account of child safety when developing new technologies and services.

3. Stimulating the involvement of children and young people in creating a safer online environment. Actions will aim to involve children and young people with the aim of better understanding their views and experiences concerning the use of online technologies and on how to promote a safer online environment for children.

4. Increasing information about adequate tools for dealing with harmful content online. Activities will aim to increase information about the performance and effectiveness of tools for dealing with potentially harmful content online and to equip users with information, instruments and applications adequately supporting them in dealing with harmful content across different platforms.

5. Ensuring compatibility between the approach taken in Europe and internationally. Activities will promote cooperation and exchange of information, experience and best practices between stakeholders at European level and internationally.

3. Ensuring public awareness

The activities will be aimed at increasing the awareness of the public, in particular children, parents, carers and educators, about opportunities and risks related to the use of online technologies and means of staying safe online. The main overall actions planned to be taken are:

1. Raising public awareness and disseminating information on safer use of online technologies. The activities will promote public awareness by providing adequate information about possibilities, risks and ways to deal with them in a coordinated way across Europe. Activities will encourage cost-effective means of distributing awareness information to a large number of users.

2. Providing contact points where parents and children can receive answers to questions about how to stay safe online. Activities will be aimed at empowering users to make informed and responsible choices by providing them with advice on relevant information and precautions to be taken to remain safe online.

3. Encouraging enhancement of efficient and cost-effective awareness-raising methods and tools . Actions will be aimed at improving relevant awareness-raising methods and tools with a view to making them more efficient and cost-effective in a long-term perspective.

4. Ensuring exchange of best practices and cross-border cooperation at European level. Actions will be taken to ensure effective European cross-border cooperation and effective exchange of best practices, tools, methods, experience and information.

5. Ensuring exchange of best practices and cooperation at international level. Actions will aim to promote cooperation and exchange of best practices, tools, methods, experience and information at international level in order to encourage common approaches and methods of work and improve and enhance the effectiveness, cost-efficiency and the range of global initiatives.

4. Establishing a knowledge base

The activities will aim to establish a knowledge base for dealing adequately with existing and emerging uses of the online environment and relevant risks and consequences, with a view to designing adequate actions aimed at ensuring online safety for all users. The main overall actions planned to be taken are:

1. Encouraging a coordinated approach concerning investigation in relevant fields. Actions will ensure a concerted effort to bring together scientists and experts engaged in the field of child safety online at European level, stimulate international cooperation and coordination, and establish updated overviews of existing and emerging research.

2. Providing updated information concerning children’s use of online technologies. Actions will be taken to generate updated information concerning children’s use of online technologies and the way they and their parents and carers deal with both opportunities and risks. The actions will comprise quantitative and qualitative aspects. Actions will also aim to increase the knowledge of children and young people’s own strategies for dealing with risks in the online environment, and assess the effectiveness of these strategies.

3. Promoting investigation on online victimisation of children. Actions will aim to investigate technical, psychological and sociological issues related to the victimisation of children in the online environment, including bullying, grooming, issues relating to online child sexual abuse material and emerging forms of conduct that can put children at risk of harm.

4. Promoting investigation on efficient ways to improve safe use of online technologies. Actions may concern investigations and trials of awareness-raising methods and tools, successful co- and self-regulatory schemes, the effectiveness of different technical and non-technical solutions, as well as other relevant issues.

5. Increasing knowledge of the effects of the use of current and emerging technologies on children and young people. Actions will aim to better understand the psychological, behavioural and sociological effects on children and young people using online technologies, ranging from the effect of exposure to harmful content and conduct to grooming and bullying and across different platforms, from computers and mobile phones to game consoles and other emerging technologies.

ANNEX II INDICATIVE BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURE

Reducing illegal content and tackling harmful conduct online | 30-35% |

Promoting a safer online environment | 5-10% |

Ensuring public awareness | 45-50% |

Establishing a knowledge base | 8-15% |

1. ANNEX III METHODS OF PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

(1) The Commission will implement the programme in accordance with the technical content specified in Annex I.

(2) The programme will be implemented through actions comprising:

A. Shared-cost actions

1. Pilot projects and best practice actions; ad hoc projects in areas relevant to the programme, including projects demonstrating best practice or involving innovative uses of existing technology.

2. Networks and national actions bringing together a variety of stakeholders to ensure action throughout Europe and to facilitate coordination activities and transfer of knowledge.

3. Europe-wide investigation carried out on a comparable basis into the way adults and children use online technologies, the resulting risks for children and the effects of harmful practices on children, and behavioural and psychological aspects with emphasis on child sexual abuse related to the use of online technologies, investigation on upcoming risk situations due to transforming behaviours or technological developments, etc.

4. Technology deployment projects.

B. Accompanying measures

Accompanying measures will contribute to the implementation of the programme or the preparation of future activities.

1. Benchmarking and opinion surveys to produce reliable data on safer use of online technologies for all Member States collected through comparable methodologies.

2. Technical assessment of technologies such as filtering designed to promote safer use of the Internet and new online technologies.

3. Studies in support of the programme and its actions.

4. Exchange of information through conferences, seminars, workshops or other meetings and the management of clustered activities.

5. Dissemination, information and communication activities.

(3) In pursuance of Article 2(2)(e), international organisations and legal entities established in third countries may take part in shared-cost actions, with or without Community funding, under the following conditions:

(i) the action must fall under a priority for international cooperation as defined in the work programme. These priorities may be defined by thematic area of activity, by geographic criteria or both;

(ii) the work programme may define further criteria and conditions which must be satisfied by international organisations and legal entities established in third countries in order to receive Community funding.

(4) The selection of shared-cost actions will be based on calls for proposals published on the Commission’s website in accordance with the financial provisions in force.

(5) Applications for Community support should provide, where appropriate, a financial plan listing all the components of the funding of the projects, including the financial support requested from the Community, and any other requests for or grants of support from other sources.

(6) Accompanying measures will be implemented through calls for tenders in accordance with the financial provisions in force.

LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT

1. NAME OF THE PROPOSAL:

Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing a multiannual Community programme on protecting children using the Internet and other communication technologies

2. ABM / ABB FRAMEWORK

Policy Area: Information Society

Activity/Activities: Electronic communications policy and network security

3. BUDGET LINES

3.1. Budget lines (operational lines and related technical and administrative assistance lines (ex- B.A lines)) including headings:

09 02 02

09 01 04 04

3.2. Duration of the action and of the financial impact:

2009 – 2013

Budgetary characteristics ( add rows if necessary )

Budget line | Type of expenditure | New | EFTA contribution | Contributions from applicant countries | Heading in financial perspective |

09 02 02 | Non-comp | Diff[39] | YES | YES | YES | No 1A |

09 010 404 | Non-comp | Non-Diff[40] | YES | YES | YES | No 1A |

4. SUMMARY OF RESOURCES

4.1. Financial Resources

4.1.1. Summary of commitment appropriations (CA) and payment appropriations (PA)

EUR million (to 3 decimal places)

Expenditure type | Section No | Year n | n + 1 | n + 2 | n + 3 | n + 4 | n + 5 and later | Total |

Operational expenditure[41] |

Commitment Appropriations (CA) | 8.1 | a | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 53.5 |

Payment Appropriations (PA) | b | 5.08 | 6.61 | 9.55 | 10.05 | 22.21 | 53.5 |

Administrative expenditure within reference amount[42] |

Technical & administrative assistance (NDA) | 8.2.4 | c | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.5 |

TOTAL REFERENCE AMOUNT |

Commitment Appropriations | a+c | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 55.0 |

Payment Appropriations | b+c | 0.3 | 5.38 | 6.91 | 9.85 | 10.35 | 22.21 | 55.0 |

Administrative expenditure not included in reference amount[43] |

Human resources and associated expenditure (NDA) | 8.2.5 | d | 1.249 | 1.249 | 1.249 | 1.249 | 1.249 | 1.249 | 7.494 |

Administrative costs, other than human resources and associated costs, not included in reference amount (NDA) | 8.2.6 | e | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.024 | 0.359 |

Total indicative financial cost of measure

TOTAL CA including cost of Human Resources | a+c+d+e | 12.316 | 12.316 | 12.316 | 12.316 | 12.316 | 1.273 | 62.853 |

TOTAL PA including cost of Human Resources | b+c+d+e | 1.616 | 6.696 | 8.226 | 11.166 | 11.666 | 23.483 | 62.853 |

Co-financing details

If the proposal involves co-financing by Member States, or other bodies, an estimate of the level of this co-financing should be indicated:

EUR million (to 3 decimal places)

Co-financing body | Year n | n + 1 | n + 2 | n + 3 | n + 4 | n + 5 and later | Total |

…………………… | f |

TOTAL CA including co-financing | a+c+d+e+f |

4.1.2. Compatibility with Financial Programming

( Proposal is compatible with existing financial programming.

( Proposal will entail reprogramming of the relevant heading in the financial perspective.

( Proposal may require application of the provisions of the Interinstitutional Agreement[44] (i.e. flexibility instrument or revision of the financial perspective).

4.1.3. Financial impact on Revenue

( Proposal has no financial implications on revenue

( Proposal has financial impact — the effect on revenue is as follows:

EUR million (to one decimal place)

Prior to action [Year n-1] | Situation following action |

Total number of human resources | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |

5. CHARACTERISTICS AND OBJECTIVES

5.1. Need to be met in the short or long term

There is a continued need for actions dealing with illegal content and harmful conduct online, promoting a safer online environment and ensuring public awareness of the risks and precautions to be taken in a changing online environment. There is also a need for the scope of the programme to be extended so as to focus particularly on protecting vulnerable children in the online environment, in particular the situation where a person befriends a child for sexual abuse (“grooming”) and bullying, which can have severe and long-term consequences for the child. In order to address the challenges described above, more knowledge is needed.

5.2. Value-added of Community involvement and coherence of the proposal with other financial instruments and possible synergy

The Community will stimulate best practice in Member States by providing guidance and giving support for European-level benchmarking, networking and adding to the knowledge base. The national activities will contribute to a “multiplier effect” with a view to a better distribution of best practice. The re-use of tested tools, methods, strategies and technologies or access to updated data at European level will enhance the cost-efficiency and effectiveness of actors at Member State level.

The programme aims to maximise synergy with national activities through networking and EU initiatives. The proposed activities partly build upon results achieved in previous actions and will complement actions launched under other EU programmes and initiatives (namely Prevention of and Fight against Crime, Youth in Action, Daphne III) to avoid duplication and maximise impact.

5.3. Objectives, expected results and related indicators of the proposal in the context of the ABM framework

The objectives will be:

2. Reducing illegal content and tackling harmful conduct online;

3. Promoting a safer online environment;

4. Ensuring public awareness;

5. Establishing a knowledge base.

Operational objectives specify targets which facilitate attainment of the above goals:

Operational objectives | Indicators |

Illegal content and harmful conduct/content |

Public reporting points | Number of reporting points / MS coverage; No of reports received, of police actions, of web pages withdrawn; degree of public awareness |

Harmful conduct online | Degree of public awareness |

Technical solutions | No of projects |

Promoting a safer online environment |

Industry engagement | No of meetings / conferences organised / attended. Number of self-regulatory operations |

Cooperation between stakeholders | No of meetings / conferences organised / attended. No of projects and initiatives |

Awareness raising |

Empowering users to stay safe online | Awareness levels of users |

Coordinated effort to raise awareness and to disseminate information about safety issues | No of awareness points / MS coverage; No of staff involved, of awareness actions, of stakeholders reached; visibility; awareness levels |

Awareness-raising methods and tools | No of replicable methods / tools |

Involvement of children in creating a safer online environment | No of children / of activities with children involved |

Establishing a knowledge base |

Coordinated investigation across the EU | No of themes covered, of countries addressed |

Updated information base | No of projects, of publications |

Broadening knowledge about children’s own strategies against online-related risks | No of projects, of publications |

Studies on online-related child sexual exploitation | No of projects, of publications |

All actions |

Cooperation, exchange of information, experience, best practice between stakeholders at EU / international level. | No of meetings / conferences organised / attended. |

5.4. Method of Implementation (indicative)

( Centralised Management

( directly by the Commission

The delivery mechanisms follow the usual Community approach to grants and co-funding and actions that are fully financed by the Community on the basis of a detailed financial request. Funding will be granted through calls for proposals and tenders.

6. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

6.1. Monitoring system

Implementation and monitoring of the programme will be the responsibility of Commission officials. Monitoring will be based on:

- information obtained from beneficiaries (activity and financial reports);

- visits to the projects;

- feedback on the activities of participants in the programme;

- built-in evaluation and performance indicators in all projects and actions.

For one-off projects, such as seminars and conferences, on-site monitoring and external evaluation will be carried out on the basis of random samples and/or risk factors.

6.2. Evaluation

6.2.1. Ex-ante evaluation

A thorough impact assessment and an ex-ante evaluation including a cost-benefit analysis have been carried out, based on desk research, surveys, Community and external studies and public consultations.

6.2.2. Measures taken following an intermediate/ex-post evaluation

The European Union has been a forerunner in this field since 1996. The preceding activities have been evaluated several times by independent experts underlining their significant contribution in dealing with the risks to children and recommending that the activities “should continue”.

Recommendations have been formulated in these evaluation reports and in the Eurobarometer surveys. These lessons learnt have been taken into consideration when defining the objectives of the new programme and the range of its actions.

6.2.3. Terms and frequency of future evaluation

An interim evaluation of the programme will be carried out at mid-term. It will assess the programme’s effectiveness and efficiency, review its implementation logic and — if applicable — formulate recommendations to redirect the programme actions.

An ex-post evaluation focused on the impact of the action will be carried out at the end of the programme.

7. ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES

Funding decisions and contracts between the Commission and the beneficiaries provide for in situ checks to be carried out on the premises of beneficiaries of a Community grant by the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and bestow the power to require evidence of any expenditure made under such contracts, agreements and legal undertakings within five years following the end of the contractual period. On-the-spot audits will be carried out when deemed necessary.

Beneficiaries are subject to reporting and financial accounting obligations. These are analysed from the point of view of content and eligibility of expenditure, taking account of the principles of economy and sound financial management.

Appended to the financial agreements is information of an administrative and financial nature, designed to specify the kind of expenditure which is eligible under such agreements. Where appropriate, Community coverage of certain cost elements will be limited to items which are real, identifiable and verifiable in the beneficiary’s book-keeping arrangements, so as to facilitate checking and auditing of projects in receipt of funding.

As regards public procurement, and as provided in the Financial Regulation (Articles 93-96), administrative or financial penalties may be imposed by the Commission on candidates or tenderers who are in one of the cases of exclusion stipulated.

8. DETAILS OF RESOURCES

8.1. Objectives of the proposal in terms of their financial cost

Commitment appropriations in EUR million (to 3 decimal places)

Year n | Year n+1 | Year n+2 | Year n+3 | Year n+4 | Year n+5 |

Officials or temporary staff[48] (XX 01 01) | A*/AD | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |

B*, C*/AST | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |

Staff financed[49] by Art XX 01 02 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |

Other staff[50] financed by Art XX 01 04/05 |

TOTAL | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |

8.2.2. Description of tasks deriving from the action

- Programme management: calls, work programme, Commission procedures

- Project management: supervision of implementation processes, monitoring of project costs, technical assistance

- Organisation or supervision of conferences, workshops and seminars, of awareness campaigns, of Safer Internet Days and the Safer Internet Forum

- Implementation of non-funded activities

- Cooperation with relevant Commission departments

8.2.3. Sources of human resources (statutory)

(When more than one source is stated, please indicate the number of posts originating from each of the sources)

( Posts currently allocated to the management of the programme to be replaced or extended

( Posts pre-allocated within the APS/PDB exercise for year n

( Posts to be requested in the next APS/PDB procedure

( Posts to be redeployed using existing resources within the managing service (internal redeployment)

( Posts required for year n although not foreseen in the APS/PDB exercise of the year in question

8.2.4. Other administrative expenditure included in reference amount (XX 01 04/05 — Expenditure on administrative management)

EUR million (to 3 decimal places)

Budget line (number and heading) | Year n | Year n+1 | Year n+2 | Year n+3 | Year n+4 | Year n+5 and later | TOTAL |

Other technical and administrative assistance | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.5 |

- intra muros |

- extra muros |

Total technical and administrative assistance | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.5 |

8.2.5. Financial cost of human resources and associated costs not included in the reference amount

EUR million (to 3 decimal places)

Type of human resources | Year n | Year n+1 | Year n+2 | Year n+3 | Year n+4 | Year n+5 and later |

Officials and temporary staff (XX 01 01) | 1.053 | 1.053 | 1.053 | 1.053 | 1.053 | 1.053 |

Staff financed by Art XX 01 02 (auxiliary, END, contract staff, etc.) (specify budget line) | 0.196 | 0.196 | 0.196 | 0.196 | 0.196 | 0.196 |

Total cost of human resources and associated costs (NOT in reference amount) | 1.249 | 1.249 | 1.249 | 1.249 | 1.249 | 1.249 |

Calculation– Officials and temporary agents Reference should be made to Point 8.2.1, if applicable Officials and temporary staff: 9 officials*EUR 117 000 Staff financed by Art XX 01 01:2 2 contract agents * EUR 63 000 and I END * EUR 70 000 |

Calculation– Staff financed under Art XX 01 02 Reference should be made to Point 8.2.1, if applicable |

8.2.6. Other administrative expenditure not included in reference amount

EUR million (to 3 decimal places)

Year n | Year n+1 | Year n+2 | Year n+3 | Year n+4 | Year n+5 and later | TOTAL |

XX 01 02 11 01 — Missions | 0.024 | 0.024 | 0.024 | 0.024 | 0.024 | 0.024 | 0.144 |

XX 01 02 11 02 — Meetings & conferences |

XX 01 02 11 03 — Committees[52] | 0.043 | 0.043 | 0.043 | 0.043 | 0.043 | 0.215 |

XX 01 02 11 04 — Studies & consultations |

XX 01 02 11 05 — Information systems |

2 Total other management expenditure (XX 01 02 11) |

3 Other expenditure of an administrative nature (specify including reference to budget line) |

Total administrative expenditure, other than human resources and associated costs (NOT included in reference amount) | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.067 | 0.024 | 0.359 |

Calculation — Other administrative expenditure not included in reference amount

Missions — 30 missions per year x EUR 800 within EU

Committees — 2 annual meetings x 1 participant x 27 MS x EUR 800

[1] For the purposes of this Explanatory Memorandum, “online technologies” refers to technologies that are used for accessing the Internet and to other communication technologies. In addition, in certain cases such as video games, there are both “online” and “offline” uses of content and services and both may be relevant to child safety.

[2] Decision No 276/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 January 1999:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/docs/html/decision/276_1999_EC.htm.

[3] Safer Internet Action Plan 1999 – 2004, Safer Internet plus 2004 - 2008.

[4] COM(2006) 663 and Final Evaluation Report of the Safer Internet Action Plan (2003-2004), IDATE, May 2006, p. 4:http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/docs/prog_evaluation/final_evaluation_report_en_siap_06112006.pdf.

[5] COM(2006) 661.

[6] http://ec.europa.eu/saferinternet.

[7] Council Recommendation 98/560/EC of 24 September 1998:http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l24030b.htm.

[8] Recommendation 2006/952/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 (OJ L 378, 27.12.2006).

[9] http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/185.htm.

[10] Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 12 July 2007 at the second meeting of Ministers’ Deputies.The Convention was opened for signature at the Conference of European Ministers of Justice on 25 and 26 October 2007.

[11] Council Framework Decision of 20 January 2004 on combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography (2004/68/JHA).

[12] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the Committee of the Regions - COM(2007) 267, 22.5.2007.

[13] COM(2006) 367, 4.7.2006.

[14] Council Conclusions 16457/07, 12 December 2007.

[15] Communication on cyber crime, p. 9.

[16] http://www.iwf.org.uk/media/news.196.htm.

[17] http://www.interpol.int/Public/News/2007/ChildConf20070606.asp.

[18] Eurobarometer study 2007: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/docs/eurobarometer/qualitative_study_2007/summary_report_en.pdf.

[19] Activity 3 ("Major trends in society and their implication") of theme 8 ("Socio-Economic Sciences and Humanities").

[20] Decision No 276/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 January 1999 (OJ L 33, 6.2.1999, p. 1).

[21] Decision No 1151/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 June 2003 (OJ L 162, 1.7.2003, p. 1).

[22] Decision No 854/2005/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 establishing a multiannual Community Programme on promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies (OJ L 149, 11.6.2005, p. 1).

[23] OJ C , , p. .

[24] OJ C , , p. .

[25] OJ C , , p. .

[26] COM(2005) 229.

[27] COM(2007) 170. Amended proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 89/552/EEC on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities.

[28] Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (OJ L 201, 31.7.2002, p. 37).

[29] Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (OJ L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1).

[30] OJ L 13, 20.1.2004, p. 44

[31] OJ L 270 , 7.10.1998 p. 48.

[32] OJ L 378, 27.12.2006, p. 72.

[33] OJ L 33, 6.2.1999, p.1. Decision as amended by Decision No 1151/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 June 2003

[34] OJ L 162, 1.7.2003, p. 1.

[35] OJ L 149, 11.6.2005, p. 1

[36] COM(2001) 690; COM(2003) 653; COM(2006) 663.

[37] OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

[38] OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p. 1.

[39] Differentiated appropriations.

[40] Non-differentiated appropriations.

[41] Expenditure that does not fall under Chapter xx 01 of the Title xx concerned.

[42] Expenditure within Article xx 01 04 of Title xx.

[43] Expenditure within Chapter xx 01 other than Articles xx 01 04 or xx 01 05.

[44] See points 19 and 24 of the Interinstitutional Agreement.

[45] Additional columns should be added if necessary i.e. if the duration of the action exceeds 6 years.

[46] As described under Section 5.3.

[47] As described under Section 5.3.

[48] Cost of which is NOT covered by the reference amount.

[49] Cost of which is NOT covered by the reference amount.

[50] Cost of which is included within the reference amount.

[51] Reference should be made to the specific legislative financial statement for the Executive Agency(ies) concerned.

[52] Specify the type of committee and the group to which it belongs.