The European Commission has presented an EU agenda for reinforcing the rights of the child by putting the principles of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights into practice.
It includes a series of concrete actions where the EU can provide added value to policies for children's well-being and safety, including promoting child-friendly justice, better informing children about their rights, and making the internet safer for kids.
The EU Agenda lists 11 actions that the Commission will take over the coming years. The initiative aims to reaffirm the strong commitment of EU institutions and Member States to promoting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of the child in all relevant EU policies and to turn them into concrete results. In the future, EU policies that affect children directly or indirectly should be designed, implemented, and monitored taking into account the principle of children’s best interests.
“Children’s rights are fundamental rights,” said Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's Justice Commissioner. “The EU and its 27 Member States need to make sure they are protected and that the best interests of the child are our guiding principles. Notably, child-friendly justice should make sure that the rights of the child are taken into account whenever children are involved with justice systems, either as victims, suspects or when their parents divorce and disagree over custody.”
