WRITTEN QUESTION P-2620/98

by Luisa Todini (PPE) to the Commission

(31 July 1998)

Subject: Sexual abuse of minors

The disturbing discovery by the Belgian anti-paedophile association "Morkhoven" of an international paedophile ring based in Zandvoort (Netherlands) has once again drawn attention to the issue of the sexual exploitation of minors.

Parliament's many resolutions on combating sex tourism and protecting minors and the Commission's adoption of the Daphne and Stop programmes constitute firm reactions to this major problem.

Notwithstanding the above - and given inter alia that Italy has yet to adopt laws to combat the sexual exploitation of minors - what action does the Commission intend to take in response to Parliament's resolutions of 12 December 1996, calling for the compilation of special databases carrying information on people convicted of paedophile acts, 24 April 1997 and 13 May 1998, and the Council resolution of 17 February 1997 calling attention to the need to combat the dissemination of paedophile messages via the Internet.

Does the Commission feel that more decisive action should be taken in this area by stepping up coordination of the activities of the national authorities responsible for protecting minors?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 1998)

The Commission shares the concern of the Honourable Member for effective action to combat the sexual exploitations of minors.

The Commission welcomes the stepping up of coordination of the activities of the national authorities responsible for protecting minors. To this end it is calling upon the Member States to implement as speedily as possible the actions contained in the Council joint action of 24 February 1997(1) concerning action to combat trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation of children. The joint action requires the Member States to criminalise and to punish appropriately offences of sexual exploitation of children and to coordinate their activities in the fight against this scourge. The measures envisaged include the exchange of information between Member States concerning people convicted of such offences.

Under the Daphne initiative the Commission is supporting a project by a non governmental organisation to undertake a feasibility study (i) on the operation of common register systems for tracking convicted or identified paedophiles across and within Member States and (ii) on the use of such a common register approach to regulate those seeking work or employment which involves contact with children. It is also supporting under the STOP programme a further feasibility study on the arrangements for collecting and managing data on, inter alia, child sex offenders. In May the Commission approved a proposal for a follow-up to the Daphne initiative in the form of a multi-annual programme. It is important that this proposal is adopted rapidly by the Council.

As for the dissemination of paedophile messages via the Internet, following the resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 17 February 1997 on illegal and harmful content on the Internet(2) the Commission presented on 1 December 1997 the action plan(3) on promoting safe use of the Internet. This provides funding for actions, inter alia, to promote self-regulation, to create an international network of "hotlines" (for the reporting of child pornography to the authorities) and to promote the awareness of users, in particular parents, teachers and children.

(1) OJ L 63, 4.3.1997.

(2) OJ C 70, 6.3.1997.

(3) OJ C 48, 13.2.1998.