Brussels, 24/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - Blocking access to websites of a child pornographic nature has not been wholly effective and is in any case very difficult to impose across all the member states due to differences in awareness and the traditions which characterise them, said the MEPs of the parliamentary committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs, after a debate on the subject held on Monday 22 November. The talks were held in the framework of the European directive on the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography and the draft report by MEP Roberta Angelilli (EPP, Italy) on this particularly sensitive issue. This report will be put to the vote of the committee in February 2011.
According to a number of studies, between 10% and 20% of all children are believed to be the victims of sexual abuse during their childhood in Europe. Angelilli states that there are “a number of critical points” to examine, due to the differences between the legal systems of the member states and in criminal law. The most controversial issues concerning the rules to be adopted are preventing a person who has already been sentenced for child sexual abuse in one member state from getting a job putting him or her into contact with children in another member state, sexual tourism and blocking access to child porn websites. This last point is particularly sensitive, as the “member states have different traditions and sensibilities”, as Belgian Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck, speaking on behalf of the European Council, put it. The proposed directive of the European Commission (EUROPE 10108), will be examined as a priority by the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 2 and 3 December and “we will be seeking a definitive decision” to allow it to be finalised and adopted next year under the Hungarian Presidency of the EU, the Belgian minister explained. In their questions, a number of MEPs spoke of the difficulty in blocking websites. According to Alexander Alvaro (ALDE, Germany), it is hard to impose a block of this kind at European level, for political reasons. In the view of Andrew Brons (independent, UK) and Jan Albrecht (Greens/EFA, Germany), blocking websites serves no purpose in any case, as it is very easy for similar sites to spring up on the internet all the time. Birgit Sippel (S&D, Germany) laid emphasis on contradictions in the proposal, particularly on sanctions, and Sophia in't Veld (ADLE, Netherlands) recommended that more preventative actions be taken. In response to questions from the MEPs, De Clerck stressed: “We need to find the best possible balance between the overall feasibility and efficiency of the instrument. All kinds of action will be needed to react early enough to prevent sexual abuse. I hope to be able to announce constructive results in the month of December”. (I.L./transl.fl)