Speaker: Sabine VERHEYEN (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2023-10-05
Debate: The new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) (debate)

  Sabine Verheyen,  author. – Mr President, dear Vice-President Šuica, dear colleagues, in the past decade, children have started using technology more intensively and at an ever-younger age. They are real digital natives. Digital tools and devices are everywhere around them. This creates opportunities, but also challenges.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children must be protected in the digital environment. Violence, sexual abuse, cyberbullying, grooming and other forms of abuse against children have increased to a worrying extent recently, and with a major impact on the physical and mental health of the younger generation. At the same time, social services and protective institutions have become more and more inaccessible.
On 11 May 2022, the Commission adopted the communication on the European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+), which tackles several issues that were missing from the 2012 BIK strategy and aims to address persistent challenges. This strategy has three pillars: first, safe digital experiences for children; second, children’s digital empowerment; and third, active participation of the children. The Commission has invited the European Parliament and the Council to endorse the strategy and work together on this implementation. In this context, I would like to ask the Commission today, on behalf of the Committee on Culture and Education, several questions.
First, how does the Commission intend to help the Member States and industry to implement the objectives set out in the BIK+ strategy? How can we ensure that adequate funding is allocated to support hotlines, helplines and safe internet centres, so that they can achieve the objectives set out in the strategy, in particular in relation to prevention, awareness-raising campaigns, and support to victims.
Second, how will the strategy foster an inclusive and holistic approach, in order to bridge the digital divide and enhance the digital skills and competencies, including media literacy of children, parents and educators, including people with disabilities and those from vulnerable backgrounds?
Third, how is the Commission planning to ensure that pan-European data collection and research will be carried out on prevention and victim-assistance programmes, and on the digital activities of children? How will it guarantee that future digital policies and initiatives take new technological developments into account? 
And fourth and not least, how does the Commission intend to involve children of all ages in the monitoring process and the effective implementation of this strategy?
We would like to hear some answers from the Commission on all these questions, because it is a very important issue that we protect our children in the digital environment, to give them the opportunity not just to face the challenges, but really to use in a safe environment the opportunities and chances that lie in digitisation.