Brussels, 21/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - At the Euronet Children's and Young People's Network Conference, to be held at the seat of the European Parliament on 22 and 23 November, children and young people from different European countries (Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland) are to present EU institutions and governments with their agenda entitled "Discrimination against Children needs to be Challenged". European Parliament President Nicole Fontaine has provided her support to this initiative. The Commissioner for Education and Youth, Viviane Reding will address the young people at the opening of the Conference, on Wednesday 22 November at 15.00 hrs..
Addressing themselves to the EU's Ministers for Youth and Childhood, the children and young people (from 8 to 18) are mainly calling on the EU: - to make of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child a priority and a reality; - for all children to be able to benefit from a right to equal and free education; - combat discrimination, racism and violence at school; - immigrant children (legal or illegal, including the children of refugees) must benefit from special protection; - the EU must take stricter measures to control images of violence and pornography in newspapers, television and on the internet; - combat addiction to drugs, alcohol and tobacco through prevention and information campaigns; - establish a minimum age for consent for sexual relations with an adult. Finally, the children and adolescents consider it very important to be given the right to participate as full citizens in their society.