WRITTEN QUESTION E-2600/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 September 2002)

Subject: Budget heading B3-4102 and the fight against child labour

Resolution B4-0692/1998, included in Parliament's report A4-0004/1999, called on the competent bodies to deepen our knowledge of child labour in the EU, in the context of an assessment of the application of Council Directive 94/33/EC(1).

In addition, in the 2002 budget Parliament entered two remarks under item B3-4102 (Analysis of and studies on the social situation, demographics and the family), concerning the need to finance the drawing-up of a report on the state of child labour in the EU and the launching of a European information campaign against child labour.

Given the above:

- What measures have been taken in pursuit of the objectives included under budget item B3-4102 concerning the drawing-up of an annual report and the launching of a European information campaign against child labour?

- What measures have been taken in the last decade to combat child labour in the EU, and what is the Commission's assessment of those measures?

- What is the Commission's view on the establishment of a Community programme for the integration of children who have been subjected to child labour, as proposed in resolution B4-0692/1998, annexed to EP report A4-0004/1999?

(1) OJ L 216, 20.8.1994, p. 12.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(28 October 2002)

The Social Situation Report of the Commission co-edited by Directorate General Employment and Eurostat- contains analyses on child poverty which is closely linked to child labour as poverty and social exclusion breed child labour. Thus, fighting poverty and long-term unemployment, taking care of jobless households or households in which there is domestic violence, improving education, means also combating child labour.

Moreover, a couple of single studies have been launched dealing with family issues and the situation of families in Europe. Finally, since 1989, the Commission is funding the European Observatory on the Social Situation, Demography and Family. This is a multi-disciplinary network of independent experts established upon the request of the Commission. The Observatory deals with family issues in a broader sense: it monitors developments in Europe which have an impact on the social situation particularly of families (demographic, socio-economic and political changes). This includes the analysis of political activities related to family issues.

Council Directive 94/33/EC on protection of young people at work was adopted on 22 June 1994. It has been transposed in all Member States. The Commission has issued a report on the transposition of the Directive in the fifteen Member States. The Commission is sending a copy of this report direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.

The Commission has also requested reports from the Member States regarding the practical transposition of the Directive. Most of these reports have arrived in the Commission already. As soon as all of these reports have been received, they will be sent to the Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee together with a report from the Commission as required by article 17 of the Directive.

The Commission is fully committed to stamping out the abuse and exploitation of children in developing countries as well as in the developed world. It is also strongly in favour of measures qualified to give integrative support to children who are or have been concerned by child labour in any form. The Commission, therefore, tackles the child labour problem through its wider employment and training policies and its poverty and social inclusion programmes.

Regarding Parliament's proposal contained in resolution B4-0692/1998 that programmes be set up as a matter of urgency to support the integration of children who have already been working, the Commission considers that this issue is better tackled at national level and that the social inclusion process can provide an appropriate European reference in this context.