Brussels, 27/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - As foreseen, the Justice/Home Affairs Council adopted the resolution relating to the "civil society's contribution to seeking missing and sexually exploited children", presented by the Belgian Presidency (see EUROPE of 26 September, p.7). The resolution covers the disappearance and kidnapping of children (runaway children, children kidnapped by third persons, children who go missing in unexplained circumstances), the sexual exploitation (trade, prostitution and child pornography, paedophile networks on the Internet) and sexual abuse of children outside the family. With the adoption of this resolution, the Council mainly invites the Member States to: (1) promote cooperation between the relevant authorities and bodies from civil society in this kind of research. Cooperation may take various forms such as, for example, the granting of an emergency phone line within these bodies in order to receive information and evidence relating to missing children or sexually exploited children, free of charge 24h a day; and (2) examining all the data relating to missing or sexually exploited children in order to know the magnitude of the phenomenon and to analyse how it develops, and also to exchange data. It calls on the Commission to have a study carried out on the reality and magnitude of the phenomenon, on the existence, the role and the structure of bodies of the civil society active in this kind of research, as well as on legal issues linked to intervention by these bodies. On the basis of this study, the Council will determine the measures advocated at EU level and will invite the Commission to propose solutions to enhance the exchange of information between the relevant authorities and all the players concerned, as well as guarantees needed in relation to security and the exchange of information.
Commenting on this ministerial agreement, Commissioner Antonio Vitorino said he was fully in agreement with the text of the Belgian Presidency. He gave his assurance that the Commission will "very soon conduct this study to be financed by the EC Daphné programme" (to combat violence towards women, children and adolescents). Mr Vitorino insisted on the importance of "not only linking the disappearance of children to sexual exploitation. All missing children are concerned". Finally, the Commissioner "placed emphasis on the fact that the official European network is organised to ensure protection of data, as well as the identity and the dignity of the missing or sexually exploited children".