COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Interim evaluation of the multi-annual Union programme on protecting children using the Internet and other communication technologies.
Date: 2012-02-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, Internet, child pornography, child protection, computer crime

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 3.2.2012  
COM(2012) 33 final 

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

Interim evaluation of the multi-annual Union programme on protecting children using 
the Internet and other communication technologies.  

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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 

Interim evaluation of the multi-annual Union programme on protecting children using 
the Internet and other communication technologies.  

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

This communication concerns the interim evaluation of the Safer Internet Programme 2009-
2013,  in  this  communication  referred  to  as  "the  programme".  The  Technopolis  Group  was 
given  the  assignment  to  carry  out  the  evaluation.  The  main  objective  of  the  evaluation  has 
been to assess the programme concerning relevance, effectiveness and efficiency in addition 
to  broader  impacts  and  sustainability  based  on  evidence  from  questionnaires,  consultations 
with stakeholders and annual reports. 

The main objectives of the programme are to: 

–  Increase public awareness   

–  Provide  the  public  with  a  network  of  contact  points  for  reporting  illegal  and  harmful 
content and conduct, in particular on child abuse material, grooming and cyber bullying. 

–  Foster self-regulatory initiatives in this field and involve children in creating a safer online 

environment. 

–  Establish  a  knowledge  base  on  new  trends  in  the  use  of  online  technologies  and  their 

consequences for children's lives.  

Compared  to  the  earlier  programmes  the  general  scope  of  the  current  programme  has  been 
extended  to  include  emerging  online  technologies,  the  covering  of  harmful  contact  and 
conduct  (like  grooming  and  cyber-bullying)  and  it  aims  at  establishing  a  knowledge  base 
within this field. 

The  main  mechanism  for  implementing  the  programme  is  the  co-financing  of  projects 
selected on the basis of public calls for proposals. This has resulted in a wide range of projects 
being  funded  under  the  various  action  lines,  complemented  by  non-funded  activities  as 
appropriate. The projects aim at creating a safer online environment for young people and the 
non-funded  initiatives  range  from  supporting  Safer  Internet  Day,  organizing  Safer  Internet 
Forum, promotion and support of industry self-regulation and co-operating at the international 
level with other relevant organizations.  

As part of its actions the programme co-funds Safer Internet Centres, which are central in the 
work  to  raise  awareness.1  The  centres  are  present  in  all  EU  Member  States  as  well  as  in 
Iceland, Norway and Russia. All Centres, apart from Portugal, operate helplines from which 

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Safer Internet Centres: 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/projects/centres/index_en.htm 

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parents and children can get advice on issues related to children's use of online technologies. 
The Centres and helplines belong to the INSAFE network.2 In most countries Safer Internet 
Centres also include hotlines; their main task is to receive reports from the public about illegal 
content online. When illegal content is identified the hotline will refer this on to competent 
law  enforcement  agencies  in  the  country  and/or  the  Internet  Service  Provider  and  ask  for 
content to be removed, or to a member of the International Association of Internet Hotlines 
(INHOPE) network if the content is hosted in another country. The hotlines are coordinated 
by the INHOPE Association.3 Knowledge enhancement on young people's use of technology 
is  a  central  aim  for  the  work  in  the  programme.  The  programme  supports  several  research 
projects covering a range of topics and disciplines. In addition to raising the research profile 
of  safer  Internet  related  issues,  developing  knowledge  through  many  relevant  projects  feeds 
into  the  knowledge  base  for  all  activities  in  the  programme.  The  current  knowledge 
enhancement projects include: 

–  The  project  EU  Kids  Online  II  (selected  under  the  previous  programme)  aims  to 
strengthen the knowledge base regarding children's and parent's experiences and practices 
of risk and safety in their use of the internet and new technologies in Europe. The project is 
the first to investigate the attitudes and actions towards online safety of both children and 
parents across most of the European Member States. The project builds on the previous EU 
Kids  Online  I,  but  has  increased  the  number  of  participating  countries  from  21  to  25 
countries. 

–  European  Online  Grooming  Project  (POG)  (selected  under  the  previous  programme) 
aims  to  investigate  victim  targeting  practices  of  offenders  convicted  of  online  grooming. 
POG is the first European research project that studies the characteristics and behaviour of 
offenders who have used the internet to target young victims. The project is a cooperation 
carried out by 6 partners representing four countries: United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium and 
Norway.  The  work  includes  a  scoping  study  reviewing  online  groomer's  case  files.  The 
project will provide reports of the research and policy literature from the partner countries 
in  the  project.  In  addition  the  project  includes  interviews  with  strategic  stakeholders 
concerning the management and prevention of online grooming.  

–  Risk  taking  Online  Behaviour  -  Empowerment  through  Research  and  Training 
(ROBERT)  intends  to  make  online  interaction  safe  for  children  and  young  people  by 
learning  from  experiences  of  online  abuse  processes  and  factors  that  make  young  people 
vulnerable  as  well  as  those  that  offer  protection.  4  Perpetrator's  strategies  in  relation  to 
grooming of children online are also explored along with developing an understanding of 
how  abuse  may  develop  in  the  online  environment.  Children  and  young  people  will  be 
empowered  in  order  for  them  to  better  protect  themselves  online.  Groups  of  children 
perceived  to  be  more  at  risk  will  specifically  benefit  from  chances  of  improved  self-
protection.  

Under  the  action  for  fighting  against  illegal  content  the  programme  co-funds  initiatives  to 
support law enforcement bodies in the fight against child sexual abuse material. 

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European Network of Awareness Centres 
http://www.saferinternet.org/web/guest/home;jsessionid=CFCEC3A1AE9934CF71917E6C207ABB2C 
International Association of Internet Hotlines INHOPE http://www.inhope.org/gns/home.aspx 
Risktaking Online Behaviour - Empowerment through Research and Training 
http://www.childcentre.info/robert/about-the-project/ 

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–  The  FIVES  project  -  Forensic  Image  and  Video  Examination  Support  was  selected 
under the previous programme and ran from 01/02/2009 until 31/01/2011. The aim of the 
project has been to develop new ICT tools tailored to investigating images and videos of 
child sexual  abuse to enhance the possibilities the police have to handle large amount of 
seized equipment. 

–  The  INTERPOL  –  International  Child  Sexual  Exploitation  Image  Database 
(ICSEDB) is a project aimed at increasing the number of children identified and rescued 
from  abuse.  A  central  tool  is  sophisticated  image  comparison  software  that  can  make 
connections between victims and places. It also allows authorized users in the INTERPOL 
member countries to access the database directly and in real time. The aim is eventually to 
provide 30 additional countries with access to this system.  

To ensure involvement of civil society the Safer Internet Centres set up national youth panels 
which they consult regularly. In October 2010 the INSAFE European Youth Panel gathered 
for  the  second  time  young  people  from  30  European  countries.  Their  discussions  about 
opinions  and  suggestions  about  online  safety  were  fed  into  a  wider  debate  during  the  Safer 
Internet Forum in 2010. Another way of involving civil society is the European NGO Alliance 
for Child Safety Online II (eNACSO) network. It is financed until 31/08/2012 and consists of 
European  children's  rights  organisations  engaged  in  online  safety  for  children.  The  network 
promotes  its  joint  strategies  and  recommendations  for  change  to  national,  European  and 
international decision-makers and other relevant stakeholders. 

The programme also aims to make it easier to use filtering software, content labelling and 
services. A benchmarking study – SIP-Bench study – running from 2010 to 2012 provides a 
ranking list to assist European parents to choose the parental control tool that fits their needs. 
The  first  results  were  available  in  December  2010.  The  first  SIP-Bench  study  (2006-2008) 
showed overall that tools improved and became easier to install over this three year period. 

The  Internet  and  mobile  technologies  develop  at  a  fast  pace  and  to  be  able  to  react  quickly 
concerning  new  developments  of  children's  use  and  risks  industry  self-regulation  is 
important. The programme supports two self-regulation initiatives taken by the industry at the 
European  level.  A  European  Framework  for  safer  Mobile  Use  by  Younger  Teenagers  and 
Children  was  signed  by  leading  mobile  operators  and  content  providers  in  2007.  In  2009 
major social networks active in Europe signed the Safer Social Networking Principles for the 
EU. 

The programme supports events and campaigns such as the Safer Internet day and the Safer 
Internet Forum. 

2. 

EVALUATION OBJECTIVES 

The evaluation covers the first part of the 2009-2013 Safer Internet Programme and the main 
focus is therefore to evaluate how the programme is evolving but the evaluation will also feed 
into recommendations for any follow-up initiative.  

An evaluation of the programme at this stage, as an interim evaluation, gives an analysis of 
the  relevance  of  the  programme  concerning  its  design,  efficiency  and  effectiveness.  In 
addition,  it  indicates  the  sustainability  and  impact  the  programme  has  had  with  a  special 
emphasis on the coherence of the programme. To consider the relevance of the programme 
the evaluation addressed the following questions: 

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–  Have the problems addressed by the Safer Internet Programme evolved? 

–  Have circumstances, technology, social or economic factors changed since the initiation of 

the programme? 

–  Are the focal activities and the target areas the most relevant and still relevant to achieve 

the programme's overall aim? Are the current objectives still relevant for the future? 

–  To what extent are the objectives relevant to Internet users, parents, teachers, children and 

the industry? Has there been an added value for the target groups? 

The efficiency of the programme was evaluated according to the following questions: 

–  Has  the  implementation  of  the  programme  been  satisfactory?  Are  procedures  simple 

enough? 

–  Were the activities of the programme carried out efficiently and were they cost effective? 

–  Were the levels of funding and other available resources adequate? 

To look at the effectiveness of the programme the following questions were addressed: 

–  How have the results of the programme contributed to a better protection of children on the 

Internet and in the broader digital environment? 

–  Has  the  programme  made  a  difference?  did  it  induce  participants  to  undertake  activities 

that would not have been carried out without the programme? 

–  Are  there  other  activities  that  could  achieve  results  more  effectively?  What  are  the  main 

obstacles to and opportunities for enhanced programme effectiveness? 

The impact and sustainability of the programme was addressed according to the following 
questions: 

–  Can  any  lessons  be  drawn  from  this  assessment  that  can  be  used  in  the  design  and 

implementation of any follow-up programme? 

–  To what extent did the programme complement other EU programmes and initiatives so as 

to avoid duplication and maximise impact? 

–  Did the activities show likelihood of generating sustainable impacts? 

–  To what extent would positive changes induced by the programme have happened without 

any EU intervention? 

Methodology for the evaluation 

The  evaluation  work  has  been  divided  into  three  overlapping  phases;  inception  phase,  the 
collection/analysis  phase  and  the  interim  evaluation/final  report  phase.  The  main  data 
collection method comprised two online surveys; one project participant survey and one wider 
stakeholder  survey.  The  questions  in  these  surveys  reflected  the  main  evaluation  questions. 
The  surveys  were  complemented  with  consultations  on  a  broader  range  of  issues  with  25 
stakeholders representing project participants, industry, policy makers,other DGs and NGOs. 

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3. 

EVALUATION FINDINGS 

The evaluation results are positive. They show that the programme has evolved to keep 
up with the technological and sociological considerations surrounding the safer use of the 
Internet  by  minors.  It  responds  well  to  changing  demands  in  the  external  environment  as 
evidenced  by  the  current  emphasis  on  social  media  and  cyber-bullying.  However,  to  ensure 
the inclusion of new issues the programme needs to continue to explore new issues and have a 
long-term strategic vision.  

The  evaluation  results  further  show  that  the  programme  is  influential  in  relation  to  other 
national  and  international  activities;  literature,  research  and  results  from  the  programme  are 
widely used and quoted. In addition, recommendations from the last programme evaluations 
have been broadly incorporated into the programme.  

The programme was run efficiently. There are good levels of communication between the 
related  EU  programmes  at  policy  level.  The  programme  is  also  effective  according  to  the 
evaluation.  The  achievements  of  the  programme  concerning  the  existence  of  hotlines, 
helplines  and  awareness  centres  in  the  majority  of  Member  States  are  highlighted  in  the 
evaluation.  The  evaluation  also  concludes  that  the  current  focus  and  structure  of  the 
programme is appropriate and does not call for significant change in the next period. The 
support  and  funding  from  the  programme  is  crucial  for  the  projects  to  exist,  especially 
considering the current economic constraints. 

The  overall  picture  of  the  programme  is  very  positive;  there  is  however  room  for 
improvements  concerning  some  matters  according  to  the  evaluation  findings.  According  to 
some  stakeholders  there  still  needs  to  be  done  further  work  to  ensure  that  there  is  direct 
involvement  of  children..  The  projects  call  for  longer  funding  periods  to  ensure  better 
continuity  and  periods  of  reflection.  There  is  a  need  for  the  programme  to  keep  up  to  date 
with technological advances – through market intelligence, knowledge enhancement projects 
and  general  knowledge  exchange.  The  programme  must  also  be  able  to  follow  the 
developments  in  national  contexts  concerning  issues  related  to  legislation.  The  risk  with 
national budget cuts and subsequent change of priorities implies that there is a need to ensure 
that  national  and  regional  priorities  are  coherent  with  European  priorities  to  maximise  the 
effect in the time to come. 

4. 

EVALUATION RECOMMENDATIONS 

A number of recommendations have been identified through the interim evaluation in order to 
further the impact of future initiatives. 

According  to  the  recommendations  concerning  relevance  the  Safer  Internet  Programme 
should continue its efforts to ensure that it researches and funds the most pertinent activities 
for the protection of minors on the Internet. The programme should not broaden its objectives 
but maintain its current objectives. It is recommended to maintain a long-term strategic vision 
on  the  programme  and  its  issues.  The  knowledge  base  can  improve  through  creating  links 
with  key  industry  actors,  international  organisations,  content  providers  and  technology 
producers.  Many  links  from  existing  stakeholders  can  be  better  exploited.  Enhancement  of 
children's  participation  and  involvement  in  the  programme  should  be  considered;  including 
methods, activities, arenas etc. 

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The efficiency of the programme could be improved through longer funding periods for the 
projects  and  fewer  restrictions  on  the  internal  allocation  of  funds.  It  should  further  be 
considered  to  implement  the  programme  jointly  with  other  projects  carried  out  by  the 
Commission.  The  networks  of  hotlines,  helplines  and  awareness  centres  should  be  further 
coordinated  through  joint  events  and  working  groups.  The  collaboration  of  INHOPE  and 
INSAFE  should  be  further  encouraged.  INTERPOL  is  positive  towards  further  cooperation 
with Safer Internet projects. 

Concerning effectiveness it will be advisable to increase awareness of the work of the Safer 
Internet Programme to address a potential reduction in national/regional political support. The 
programme  should  also  look  at  measures  to  increase  more  consistent  commitment  from  the 
industry  and  increase  debate  about  legal  issues  surrounding  the  protection  of  minors.  In 
relation to international networking, it is recommended that enlargement countries and Russia 
/ South East Europe are involved both in contributing to the evidence base and as receivers of 
knowledge /best practices from experienced stakeholders. The programme should ensure that 
the knowledge base is improved through research contributions shaped and informed by the 
growing level of information already published. The annual reports of the projects should be 
improved  concerning  outcomes  and  impacts.  The  programme  should  also  ensure  that  the 
knowledge reaches further into schools and curricula. 

The evaluation report suggests some initiatives for improving the impact and sustainability 
of the programme. Firstly,it can be advisable to consider setting up two types of forum; one to 
discuss technology issues arising in relation to the programme and its objectives; and another 
to  discuss  relevant  legislative  issues  arising  in  the  individual  countries.  Secondly,  it  is 
suggested  to  develop  further  indicators  for  measuring  the  impact  of  awareness-raising 
activities.  The  programme  should  also  enhance  the  opportunities  for  projects  funded  by 
different programmes of the Commission to exchange knowledge and discuss common issues. 

5. 

COMMISSION COMMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS 

The  interim  evaluation  confirms  that  the  activities  and  initiatives  of  the  Safer  Internet 
Programme are a success according to the indicators of the evaluation. That the programme 
succeeded  to  evolve  according  to  the  fast  changing  nature  of  the  domain  including  both 
technological and sociological considerations is especially positive. 

The  Commission  takes  full  note  of  the  findings  and  will  take  the  recommendations  into 
account in ongoing and future activities and strategies of the programme.  

The  Commission  invites  the  European  Parliament,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee and the Committee of the Regions to: 

(1) 

(2) 

Take note that the programme has been successfully implemented at mid term.; 

Assist the Commission in its work to increase visibility, stimulate continued dialogue 
and support the joining of actors and stakeholders in the field of Safer Internet. 

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