WRITTEN QUESTION P-3312/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Council. Agenda for the Biarritz summit and the paedophile crisis.
Date: 2000-10-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Internet site, child protection, intellectual property, paedophilia, pornography, regulation of telecommunications

C 136 E/220

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

The percentages for the same period were:

% of non-transposed directives

13,0

12,8

18,2

Number of directives

194/1489

180/1405

249/1368

May 2000

May 1999

May 1998

All the single market scoreboard reports are accessible on the internal market website at http://euro-
pa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/.

In its yearly report
the
Commission also publishes statistics on the implementation rate by Member States of directives from all
sectors of Community competence.

to the Parliament on monitoring the implementation of Community law,

For more information, the Honourable Member is invited to refer to the XVIIth report on monitoring the
implementation of Community law (1999) published notably at the following address: http://europa.eu.int/
comm/secretariat_general/sgb/infringements/report99_fr.htm

(2001/C 136 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3285/00

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

Subject: Combating paedophilia

(25 October 2000)

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 Council 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 Council agree that it would be appropriate for the EU institutions(cid:146) e-mail to incorporate a
message stressing the EU(cid:146)s commitment to preventing the promotion of paedophilia via the Internet?

(2001/C 136 E/258)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3312/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Council

(20 October 2000)

Subject: Agenda for the Biarritz summit and the paedophile crisis

The need to bring European citizens closer to the institutions makes it essential for the authorities to tackle
those problems that affect people most directly. While the public are, of course, interested in the reform of
the institutions and the future enlargement of the Union, the authorities should also focus on day-to-day
issues that are of concern to the public. The unfortunate issue of paedophilia, for example, has now
assumed worrying proportions. The discovery of paedophile and pornographic sites on the Internet, some
of which use the words (cid:145)European Union(cid:146) in their titles, should prompt the Heads of State and Government
meeting in Biarritz to take note of the spread of this problem and finally to put in place regulations
governing the use of telematics equipment.

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/221

Does the Council not consider it necessary to draw the attention of the Heads of State or Government to:

1. The seriousness of the constant increase in paedophile Internet sites, the contents of which contravene

the legislation of the Member States,

2. The need for regulations to prevent free access to such sites,

3. The need for regulations prohibiting such sites from using in their titles the names of persons without
their knowledge or the names of institutions (Commission, European Union, etc.) as an underhand
way of attracting users who do not normally visit such sites?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-3285/00 and P-3312/00

(20/21 December 2000)

As already stated in replies to previous questions on the subject (1), combating the sexual exploitation of
children, and in particular child pornography on the Internet, is a matter of great importance to the
Council, as confirmed by its adoption of a Decision on 29 May 2000 to combat child pornography on the
Internet (2).

That Decision is the result of an initiative by Austria, and aims to combat the production, processing,
distribution and possession of child pornography material and promote the effective investigation and
prosecution of offences in this area.

The Honourable Member will note that when adopting that Decision, the Council made the following
statement:

The Council welcomes the opinion of the European Parliament, published as Legislative Resolution on
the initiative of the Republic of Austria with a view to adopting a Council Decision to combat child
pornography on the Internet. In addition to the amendments which have been incorporated by the
Council
in the Decision, the opinion raises a number of important issues relating to substantive
criminal law and criminal procedure. The Council, mindful of the urgency to take immediate measures
against child pornography on the Internet, declares its willingness to examine such questions in the
light of the Joint Action 97/154/JHA of 24 February 1997 and on the basis of proposals which are
expected in the future.

(1) See in particular the reply to Oral Question No H-0654/00 on illicit use of the internet, put to the Council by Brian

Crowley.

(2) OJ L 138, 9.6.2000, p. 1.

(2001/C 136 E/259)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3290/00

by Mary Banotti (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 October 2000)

Subject: Childcare and au pairs

A voluntary agreement was first put together in 1969 to establish basic rules and conditions for au pairs
concerning the hours and type of work which an au pair should be doing. This was followed up by a
European Parliament report (1-0797/83) (1) expressing further concern at the lack of regulation in this
field. Since that time, nothing further has been done, and the situation for au pairs has become more and
more precarious.

Young people aged between 16 and 20 years are expected to take on long hours of childcare and, more
and more often, prepare meals and cope with household chores. This is clearly beyond the duties of an au
pair, and more and more young people are becoming victims of the lack of European rules governing au
pairs.