EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/305

(2004/C 88 E/0311)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3817/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 January 2003)

Subject: Effective measures to render it impossible once and for all for EU residents to benefit from child labour elsewhere

1. Is the Commission aware that in November the youth organisation of the Belgian trade union federation ABVV collected 10 000 signatures to a petition against child labour and presented them to the speaker of the federal parliament in Belgium, and that the reason for doing this was that, despite International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 138 and 182, which set age limits and seek to prohibit the worst forms of child labour, it is estimated that 250 million children worldwide are still working at a very early age in dangerous and distressing conditions, while being shamelessly exploited?

2. Is the Commission furthermore aware that those who launched the campaign referred to in question 1 consider that child labour in the Third World can only be combated effectively if it is made a criminal offence in their own countries for residents of rich countries to organise or benefit from child labour in other parts of the world, in the same way as legislation exists making it a criminal offence for residents to sexually abuse children abroad?

3. The cooperation which has existed since 1996 between the secretariats of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the ILO, the authorisation of a social dimension in international trade agreements and Article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been ratified worldwide, are not producing clear-cut results, and there is no provision for punishing offenders. Will the Commission therefore propose that products of child labour be banned and provision made for punishment of offenders, either in the legislation of the EU Member States or in that of the EU itself?

4. Are there are any EU Member States which have not yet ratified ILO Convention 182 of 17 June 1999, which includes Recommendation 190, or the earlier Convention 138? If so, which? Does the Commission know why these countries have not so far ratified them?

5. Will the Commission itself take steps to find an adequate solution to this problem, which is important in the interests both of protecting human rights and of preventing distortion of competition?

Source: Metro, Flemish edition, 14 November 2002.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(17 February 2003)

The Commission is committed to promoting the world-wide application of core labour standards including the prohibition of child labour. On 18 July 2001 it adopted a Communication on promoting core labour standards and social governance in the context of globalisation (1), in which it proposed an integrated approach in order to mobilise all relevant actors including Member States, the international social, economic and financial organisations such as ILO, WTO, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and others. The Commission also proposed to reinforce the positive incentives to promote the core labour standards. In that context the incentive related to core labour standards in the European Generalised System of Preferences has been strengthened in December 2001. The promotion of core labour standards, including the fight against child labour and the worst forms of child labour, is also included in different initiatives such as the European Initiative on Human Right and Democracy (EIDHR).

But the Commission has rejected a negative approach based on trade sanctions.

The Parliament supported this approach in its Resolution of 4 July 2002 on core labour standards and social governance (2), while Member States have not yet completed the discussion on the Communication and the integrated strategy.

Some measures suggested in the Honourable Member's question of the relate to, for instance, criminal law requires full involvement of the Member States.

The Commission has widened and strengthened its cooperation with the International Labour Organisation. This renewed cooperation was confirmed in the exchange of letters between the Commission and the Director General of the ILO on 14 May 2001. In addition, the annual High Level Meeting between the Commission and the ILO on 14 February 2002 agreed to launch technical cooperation on ILO programmes regarding core labour standards, poverty reduction and promotion of the ILO Decent work agenda.

The Commission strongly supported the establishment by the ILO in February 2002 of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation, and has committed itself to contributing to its work. The Commission will organise a High Level Seminar on 3-4 February 2003, with the participation of World Commission, and representatives of the Member States, Candidate Countries, Members of the Parliament, social partners, non-governmental organisations, local authorities.

The Member States have responded positively to the Commission Recommendation of 15 September 2000 (3) to ratify the ILO core Convention No 182 on the worst forms of child labour. All Member States have ratified Convention 182 and in addition all Member States have ratified Convention No 138 on the minimum age for employment.

(1) COM(2001)416 final.

(2) A5-0251/02.

(3) OJ L 243, 28.9.2000.