WRITTEN QUESTION E-1953/99 by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission. Child pornography.
Date: 1999-11-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, Internet, censorship

24.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 303 E/23

(2000/C 303 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1953/99

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission

(5 November 1999)

Subject: Child pornography

Child pornography, along with the spread of extreme right-wing and left-wing material, constitutes one of
the main problems facing us in connection with the Internet.

In view of this and given the intense current public debate on the matter, can the Commission answer the
following:

1. Has the Commission any new proposals and initiatives for tackling this problem over and above the

current legislative procedures?

2.

3.

If not, when does the Commission intend to take the initiative in this matter?

If so, to what extent are providers responsible for the contents of the information provided?

4. What is the Commission(cid:146)s basic approach to detect illegal material on the Internet?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(13 December 1999)

1.
The Commission has long been concerned about child pornography on the Internet. 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, which was adopted by the Council and the
Parliament on 25 January 1999 (1).

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 committed to provide an appropriate
framework under Council Recommendation of 24 September 1998 on the development of the competi-
tiveness 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 (2).

The Commission feels that, in addition, international cooperation should be encouraged. The Commission
is therefore closely involved in international initiatives addressing the issue:

An international conference on combating child pornography on the Internet was held from 29 September
to 1 October 1999 in Vienna, organised jointly by the Austrian government, the American government
and the Commission under the programme Stop: an incentive and exchange programme for persons
responsible for combating trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children. Joint Action
96/700/JHA (3). The conference adopted conclusions and recommendations (4) which will be actively
followed-up.

The group of eight most industrialised countries is including the issue of child pornography on the
Internet in its discussions on high-tech crime. The Council of Europe is preparing a convention on
computer crime, which will allow for a common approach throughout Europe.

Its involvement in the activities described under (1) allows the Commission to monitor the handling
2.
of the problem of child pornography. If and where necessary, the Commission will consider appropriate
additional initiatives.

This includes a possible Commission involvement in case of a follow-up to the Council(cid:146)s draft joint action
to combat child pornography on which the Parliament adopted its opinion on 13 April 1999 (5).

3.
Regarding the issue of provider(cid:146)s liability, the Commission would refer to its amended proposal for a
directive on certain legal aspects of electronic commerce in the internal market (6) which contains detailed
provisions on the liability of intermediaries such as Internet service providers.

C 303 E/24

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

24.10.2000

The Commission(cid:146)s approach to the problem raised by the Honourable Member has remained
4.
unchanged since its communication on illegal and harmful content on the Internet (7) and the green
paper on protection of minors and human dignity in audiovisual and information services (8), to which the
Honourable Member is referred.

(1) Decision 276/1999/EEC of the Parliament and the Council of 25.1.1999 (cid:129) OJ L 33, 6.2.1999.
(2) OJ L 270, 7.10.1998, http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg IO/avpolicy/new_srv/recom-intro_en.html.
(3) OJ L 322, 12.12.1996 http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/project/stop_en.htm.
(4) http://www.stop-childpornog.at/conc.asp.
(5) Legislative resolution embodying Parliament(cid:146)s opinion on the draft Joint Action, adopted by the Council on the
basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, to combat child pornography on the Internet (10850/5/98 (cid:129)
C4-0674/98 (cid:129) 98/0917(CNS))
(Consultation procedure) 13 April 1999, Report of Civil Liberties Committee
(rapporteur Gerhard Schmid) A4-0141/1999.

(6) COM(1999) 427 final http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/dat/1999/en_599PC0427.html.
(7) COM(96) 487 final http://www2.echo.lu/legal/en/internet/communic.html.
(8) COM(96) 483 final http://europa.eu.int/en/record/green/gp9610/protec.htm.

(2000/C 303 E/020)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2016/99

by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission

(9 November 1999)

Subject: Commission efforts to remedy shortcomings in the use of meat export certificates

So far this year, 25 consignments of salmonella-infected meat imported from other EU Member States have
been discovered in Sweden. These consignments were in most cases accompanied by certificates from the
countries of origin that were technically in order, but the meat was infected with salmonella nevertheless.
Under current rules, only spot checks may be made. There is obviously a danger, therefore, that infected
meat will get through to consumers. Salmonella is nowadays a common public health problem that causes
a relatively high number of fatalities in several Member States. The fact that certificates from Member
States cannot be taken as guaranteeing that imported consignments of meat are salmonella-free therefore
constitutes a very serious problem.

What steps is the Commission taking to remedy the obvious shortcomings in Member States(cid:146) use of meat
export certificates?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 1999)

Consignments of fresh beef, veal and pig meat, poultry for slaughter and fresh poultry meat intended for
Finland and Sweden must be sampled and tested for salmonella according to the rules laid down in
Council Decisions 95/409/EC (1), 95/410/EC (2) and 95/411/EC (3), respectively. The sampling shall be
carried out in the establishment of origin. Consignments must be accompanied by a certificate according
to Council Directives 64/433/EEC (4), 90/539/EEC (5) and 71/118/EEC (6), for fresh beef, veal and pig meat,
poultry for slaughter and fresh poultry meat, respectively.

The Commission is aware of some irregularities in the past concerning incorrect certification and that the
Swedish authorities have initiated a specific (cid:145)guarantee project(cid:146). However, the Commission has not been
informed on the results of the project concerning this year.

Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 (7) sets down the framework of
the controls
concerning veterinary checks for the internal market which should in principle be carried out at origin
and not at destination. Thus Article 3 of the Directive provides an obligation that Member States shall
ensure that only products that have been obtained, checked, marked and labelled in accordance with
Community rules for that commodity are placed on the market.

Several steps have been taken or are currently under preparation in order to guarantee compliance with
the Community provisions concerning veterinary checks and certificates thereof. Directive 89/662/EEC sets