Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Communication on the implementation of the multiannual Community Programme on promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies (Safer Internet plus)
Date: 2006-11-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, Internet, child protection

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 6.11.2006 
COM(2006) 661 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Communication on the implementation of the multiannual Community Programme on 
promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies (Safer Internet plus) 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Communication on the implementation of the multiannual Community Programme on 
promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies (Safer Internet plus) 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

This Communication was drafted in response to a requirement laid down in Article 
5(3) of Decision No 854/2005/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
11 May 2005 establishing a multiannual Community programme on promoting safer 
use of the Internet and new online technologies (“Safer Internet plus”), which states 
that “the Commission shall report on the implementation of the actions referred to in 
Article  1(2)  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and 
Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  by  mid-2006  at  the  latest.  In 
this context, the Commission shall report on the consistency of the amount for 2007 
to 2008 with the financial perspective.” 

The Decision defines the financial framework for the programme as follows (Article 
6): 

The financial framework for the period from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 

- 
2008 is set at EUR 45 million. 

EUR 20.05 million is provided for the period until 31 December 2006 (Article 

- 
6(1)). 

- 
For the period following 31 December 2006, the amount shall be deemed to be 
confirmed if it is consistent for this phase with the financial perspective in force for 
the period commencing in 2007 (Article 6(2)). 

2. 

OBJECTIVES OF SAFER INTERNET PLUS 

The aim of Safer Internet plus is to promote safer use of the Internet and new online 
technologies, particularly for children, and to fight against illegal content and content 
unwanted by the end user. 

The Programme focuses on the end-user – particularly children, whether at home or 
at school. 

The Programme is divided into four main actions:  

(a) 

fighting against illegal content; 

(b) 

tackling unwanted and harmful content; 

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(c) 

promoting a safer environment; 

(d) 

awareness raising. 

Safer  Internet  plus  is  a  successor  to  the  Safer  Internet  Action  Plan  which  ran  from 
1999-2004 with a total budget of EUR 38.3 million. 

The coverage of the new programme extends to new online technologies, including 
mobile and broadband content, online games, peer-to-peer file transfer, and all forms 
of  real-time  communications  such  as  chat  rooms  and  instant  messages,  primarily 
with the aim of improving the protection of children and minors. A broader range of 
areas  of  illegal  and  harmful  content  and  conduct  of  concern  are  covered,  including 
racism and violence. 

3. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME 

Safer Internet plus is implemented by the European Commission. The Member States 
are  represented  through  the  Safer  Internet  plus  Management  Committee.  Financial 
support is provided through grants and procurements. 

3.1. 

Call for proposals 2005 

In accordance with Article 3 of the programme Decision, the Commission drafted a 
Work Programme1 for 2005 to serve as the basis for implementing the programme. 
The  2005  Safer  Internet  plus  call  for  proposals  was  published  on  10  September 
20052. 

Following  the  evaluation,  37  of  the  59  proposals  received  were  selected  for 
negotiation,  involving  indicative  EC  funding  of  around  EUR 11.79  million  in  total 
(of which EUR 9.21 million on the 2005 budget and EUR 2.58 million on the 2006 
budget), as follows: 

•  Hotlines3: 1 network coordinator and 16 hotlines covering 15 countries; 

•  Awareness nodes4 and helplines5: 1 network coordinator and 16 awareness nodes; 

•  User empowerment: 1 thematic network; 

•  Self-regulation: 1 thematic network;  

•  Media: 1 thematic network.  

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Commission Decision C(2005) 3231 of 9.9.2005, www.europa.eu.int/saferinternet.  
OJ C 223, 10.9.2005, p. 8 and Safer internet plus web site: 
www.europa.eu.int/saferinternet.  
Hotlines allow users to report illegal content on the Internet. They pass the reports to the appropriate 
body (police, ISPs or a correspondant hotline) for action. 
Awareness nodes carry out awareness-raising activities aimed at the target groups of parents, teachers 
and children covering a range of categories of illegal, unwanted and harmful content. 
Helplines offer one-to-one conversations with a trained helper (by telephone or online) to allow children 
to raise concerns about illegal and harmful content on the Internet 

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The  response  to  the  call  was  particularly  good  for  the  hotlines  and  the  awareness 
nodes. In fact, the existing hotline network will be extended to the Czech Republic 
and Slovenia, which did not have hotlines, and the awareness nodes network will be 
extended to Cyprus, Luxembourg and Latvia, which did not have awareness nodes. 
Of the 16 awareness nodes recommended for EC funding, 10 will include a helpline 
as a new service. . 

3.2. 

Safer Internet Forum 

The Safer Internet Forum was set up under the Safer Internet Action Plan to provide 
a focal point for  discussion and encourage action on illegal, unwanted  and harmful 
content. 
inputting  conclusions, 
recommendations,  guidelines,  etc.,  to  relevant  national  and  European  channels.  It 
also  provides  an  opportunity  to  discuss  ways  in  which  industry  can  contribute  to 
combating illegal content. 

It  provides  a  platform 

for  consensus, 

In 2005 the main topic discussed in the Safer Internet Forum was "Child safety and 
mobile phones" focusing on risk assessment, emerging solutions and national codes 
of  conduct6.  In  2006,  discussion  with  mobile  network  operators,  child  safety 
organisations,  researchers  and  public  bodies  continued,  with  the  objective  of 
reaching an agreement on best practices on child protection and their implementation 
across Europe.  

In  June  2006,  two  new  topics  were  discussed  in  the  Forum:  children's  use  of  new 
media and blocking access to child sexual abuse images7.  

On  the  first  topic,  results  of  recent  research  on  internet  safety  were  presented.  In 
particular,  the  Commission  presented  the  results  of  the  last  Eurobarometer  survey8, 
which was launched under a framework contract in December 2005, covering all EU 
Member States plus Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey, to provide comparable 
data on internet safety issues across Europe. 

Earlier surveys were carried out in autumn 2003 in the 15 “old” Member States and 
at  the  beginning  of  2004  in  the  10  new  Member  States,  just  before  these  countries 
joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. The new questionnaire was largely based 
on the 2003/2004 survey to allow comparison. Additional questions were included to 
better understand the context (parents’ use of media) and cover new services (mobile 
phones, online games, and filtering tools). 

According  to  Eurobarometer,  18%  of  European  parents  of  children  aged  17  and 
younger  say  their  child  has  encountered  harmful  or  illegal  content  on  the  Internet. 
Although  in  the  15  “old”  Member  States,  awareness  levels  have  increased 
significantly since the previous survey, 44% of parents would like more information 
about  how  to  protect  their  child  from  illegal  and  harmful  content  and  contact. 
According to the respondents, this information should be provided by schools (36%), 

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http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/sip/si_forum/mobile_2005/index_en.htm.  
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/sip/si_forum/forum_june_2006/index_en.htm.  
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/sip/docs/eurobarometer/eurobarometer 
_2005_25_ms.pdf.  

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the  Internet  provider  (31%)  and  the  media  (21%).  Among  the  recommendations 
received from stakeholders based on the Eurobarometer results are the following: 

•  focusing more on children under 10 who are already heavy users of internet and 

mobile phones; 

•  improving the visibility of hotlines through enhanced cooperation with the police; 

•  providing  information  through  channels  to  suit  the  needs  of  the  parents  and  the 

age of the children (schools, ISPs, media). 

The  survey  also  confirmed  that  internet  use,  parents’  expectations  and  awareness 
levels still vary greatly across Europe. Having a European awareness network with 
national nodes appears to fit in well with running tailored local campaigns. 

3.3. 

Safer Internet Days 

Safer Internet Day is part of a global drive by awareness-raising partners to promote 
a  safer  Internet  for  all  users,  especially  young  people.  In  February  2005  and  2006, 
Safer  Internet  Days  were  organised  under  the  patronage  of  Commissioner  Viviane 
Reding by the European internet safety network INSAFE, which is co-funded by the 
Safer Internet Programme, with the participation of a broad number of organisations 
and countries across Europe and worldwide. 

In 2005, Safer Internet Day was celebrated on 8 February and 65 organisations from 
30  countries  took  part.  The  event  included  the  launch  of  a  storytelling  competition 
for  9-16  year-olds.  Following  national  ceremonies  in  16  countries,  a  book  of  their 
stories has been published. 

In  2006,  Safer  Internet  Day  was  celebrated  on  7  February  and  a  broad  variety  of 
organisations  (around  100  organisations  from  37  countries)  took  part:  national 
authorities,  ISPs  and  telecom  operators,  industry,  schools,  libraries  and  museums, 
internet safety organisations and international organisations. 

Internet safety events such as a worldwide blogathon, quizzes, online games, story-
telling competitions, and round table discussions were organised across Europe and 
also beyond EU borders, for instance in the United States, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, 
Australia and New Zealand. 

More  detailed  information  on  the  events  organised  for  Safer  Internet  Day  2006  is 
available on the programme web site9. 

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http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/sip/docs/events/si_day_2006_events.pdf.  

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4. 

NEW TRENDS FROM 2006 

In 2006 the Commission intends to continue the above activities and to enhance their 
impact by: 

•  Consolidating  and  extending  the  geographical  coverage  of  the  hotlines  and 
awareness-raising  networks.  During  the  period  2003-2004,  under  the  Safer 
Internet Action Plan10, 21 hotlines spanning 20 countries and 23 awareness nodes 
spanning  21  countries  were  funded.  Most  of  them  will  continue  operating  as  a 
result of the call for proposals for 2005. The new call for proposals for 200611 will 
aim to give the two networks the fullest possible geographical coverage. 

•  Fostering  close  cooperation  between  all  stakeholders  in  Safer  Internet  activities. 
This  was  one  of  the  objectives  of  the  joint  annual  meeting  of  hotlines  and 
awareness  networks  in  Luxembourg  on  20  June  2006  and  the  Safer  Internet 
Forum  of  21  June  2006,  in  which  researchers,  industry,  law  enforcement 
authorities and members of the European networks took part. 

•  Helping  European  citizens  to  find  practical  information  about  how  they  can  use 
the  Internet  more  safely.  This  will  be  done  through  the  activities  of  the  national 
awareness  nodes  and  the  promotion  of  a  Europe-wide  helpline  (Europe  Direct 
service)12.  

•  Increasing  the  visibility  of  the  Safer  Internet  plus  programme  among  European 
citizens, both adults and children. In particular, on top of the awareness campaign 
run  by  the  national  awareness  nodes,  the  Commission  will  organise  an  event  in 
Brussels for Safer Internet Day 2007. 

In  implementing  Safer  Internet  plus  and in  planning  a  future  follow-up  programme 
the Commission will also take account of the findings and recommendations of the 
final  evaluation  of  the  Safer  Internet  Action  Plan13.  Progress  already  made  in  area 
mentioned by this evaluation will be reinforced. 

5. 

FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE  

Following the interinstitutional agreement on the new financial framework signed on 
17  May  2006,  the  Commission  presented  its  “revised  package  for  EU  programmes 
2007-2013”14,  amending  existing  and  proposed  legislation  where  necessary  to  give 
effect to the agreement. The amount set in this package for Safer Internet plus for the 

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Decision no 276/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 January 1999 adopting a 
Multiannual Community Action Plan on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and 
harmful content on global networks (OJ L 33 of 6.2.1999 p.1) amended by Decision no 1151/2003/EC 
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 June 2003 (OJ L 162 of 1.7.2003). 
OJ C167 of 19.7.2006 and Safer Internet plus web site: 
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/sip/call/proposals/index_en.htm.  
http://europa.eu/europedirect and free-number 00800 6 7 8 9 10 11. 
COM/2006/XXXX of …. 
IP/06/673 of 24/05/2006 and MEMO/06/213. 

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period  2005-2008  is  EUR 45  million,  exactly  the  amount  provided  for  in  the 
decision.  

The  amount  set  in  the  programme  decision  for  the  period  from  1 January  2007  to 
31 December 2008 – EUR 24.95 million – is therefore consistent for this phase with 
the financial perspective in force for the period commencing in 2007. 

6. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The  great  number  of  reports  received  by  the  hotlines  (over  534,000  in  2005  alone) 
shows the increasing need for such a service to fight against illegal content. 

Safer  Internet  Day,  with  its  broad  national  participation  and  media  coverage,  is 
increasingly recognized as a valuable opportunity to improve communication among 
stakeholders and to reach out to the broader public. 

Awareness nodes are providing more and more targeted campaigns to reach children, 
parents and teachers and the network is increasingly exchanging best practice in this 
area. 

In order to further build up the actions carried out so far, to achieve the full impact of 
the  programme  (e.g.  expanding  geographical  coverage  and  fostering  cooperation 
among stakeholders), and to enhance its visibility, continued funding is required.  

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