WRITTEN QUESTION E-3286/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Gianfranco Fini (UEN) to the Commission

(25 October 2000)

Subject: Combating paedophilia

The increasingly serious and alarming problem of paedophilia is exacerbated by the Internet, which is not yet subject to any rules to ensure it is used properly.

It has emerged that yet another pornographic website, namely www.unioneuropea.com, is using an official name.

What action does the Commission intend to take to prevent the fraudulent use of official EU website names?

How can minors be protected if criminal organisations use official EU names to publish pornography, including child pornography?

Does the Commission agree that it would be appropriate for the EU institutions' e-mail to incorporate a message stressing the EU's commitment to preventing the promotion of paedophilia via the Internet?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(17 January 2001)

The Commission has long been concerned about the diffusion of paedophile images on the Internet, in particular child pornography. In order to fight against it, it proposed a multiannual Community action plan on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks(1). It was adopted by the Council and the Parliament on 25 January 1999. The action plan provides support in four areas: a European network of hotlines, self-regulation by industry, filtering and rating and awareness. Furthermore Member States are also committed to provide an appropriate framework under the Council Recommendation 98/560/EC of 24 September 1998 on the development of the competitiveness of the European audio-visual and information services industry by promoting national frameworks aimed at achieving a comparable and effective level of protection of minors and human dignity(2).

As regards the specific situation of the web-site www.unioneuropea.com, the Commission is aware of the misrepresentation and potential abuse that may arise if a web-site, apparently representing the Union, is used in this way. The Commission believes that the site referred to no longer contain pornographic material, following a complaint to the company hosting this web-site.

The site in question is not an official Community site. However, the Commission is prepared to take appropriate action to defend its rights and prerogatives and the Commission has been actively participating in international efforts to address this kind of problem, undertaken mainly by the International corporation for assigned names and numbers (ICANN) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). These have started with the trademarks problem, but are currently being extended to include other categories of names including persons' and geographic names. The Commission will also propose, in the context of the.eu domain name that will become available next year, a code of conduct aiming at preventing such abuses within the Community.

Regarding illegal content, the primary responsibility for taking action against such sites rests with the appropriate law enforcement and judicial authorities of the Member States, irrespective of whether such sites refer specifically to the Community, or not. Regarding adult pornographic material that should not be available for minors, please refer to first paragraph, above. With a view to ensure that Members States have effective sanctions in place to combat the diffusion of child pornographic images on the Internet, the Commission has recently introduced a proposal for a Council Framework Decision which will include provisions for the approximation of laws and sanctions of the Member States in the field of the sexual exploitation of children, with particular reference to child pornography on the Internet.

The Commission has already published material on the Web regarding the multiannual Community action plan referred to under first paragraph, above, with particular reference to material referring to the labelling and filtering of sites appropriate for minors.

(1) OJ L 33, 6.2.1999.

(2) OJ L 270, 7.10.1998.