Brussels, 20/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - In the EU, half of children under the age of 10, 87% of children from 11 to 13 and 95% of 16 year olds have their own mobile phone. A survey indicates that half of European parents fear that use of a mobile phone will expose their child to images of sex or violence and bullying from other children. On Monday 20 April 2008, the European Commission invited mobile phone companies to make greater efforts to ensure the safety of children using mobile phones by introducing the measures laid down in the voluntary code of conduct signed by 26 operators in 2007.
According to a report published recently by the GSM association representing the mobile phone industry, there are national self-regulatory codes of conduct in place in 22 EU member states, based on a framework agreement brokered by the scam. Some 90% of these codes of conduct comply with the 2007 agreement. In addition, 80% of mobile phone companies have introduced measures to restrict children's access to adult content.
“I expect that national codes will be signed very soon now in the four countries where they do not exist yet - this is the case in Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, and Luxembourg - and I also expect the Belgian code to be significantly revised,” commented EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding. (L.C./transl.fl)