It is incumbent upon the European Parliament to ensure that its legislative and non-legislative work is informed to respect, promote and safeguard the rights of the child and to advance children’s lives both within the EU and in its relations with the outside world.

Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union establishes the objective for the EU to promote protection of the rights of the child. The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees the protection of the rights of the child by the EU institutions and by EU countries when they implement EU law.

Children’s rights (2019 - 2020)

Parliament has&nbsp;called for the introduction of a minimum age limit of 16&nbsp;for access to social media, and has&nbsp;adopted recommendations&nbsp;on better protecting the victims of online harassment and bullying, and strengthening platform accountability. Background The&nbsp;Digital Services Act&nbsp;(DSA) introduced measures to protect minors online, notably an obligation for platforms to ensure high levels of privacy, safety and security for minors online.

The Commission published&nbsp;guidelines on the protection of minors&nbsp;in July 2025. An&nbsp;EU expert panel&nbsp;is currently reviewing existing protection measures and developing recommendations on child safety online, including on age limits and age assurance, and is expected to publish its final results before the summer of 2026.

The rights of the child are part of human rights: rights that the EU and its Member States must respect, protect and fulfil. The Treaty on European Union establishes the objective for the EU to promote protection of the rights of the child. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU guarantees the protection of the rights of the child by the EU institutions and by EU countries when they implement EU law. Over the years the European Parliament has been instrumental in pushing children's rights to the core of European policies, particularly through its Intergroup on Children's Rights

Children’s rights

The European Parliament works to ensure that its legislative and non-legislative work respects, promotes and safeguards the rights of the child and advances children’s lives both within the EU and in relation to the outside world.

The EU school fruit, vegetable and milk scheme lasts throughout the school year in the participating EU countries.

Aimed at promoting healthy eating habits among children, the EU school scheme includes the distribution of fruit, vegetables and milk products, as well as dedicated educational programmes to teach pupils about the importance of good nutrition and to explain how food is produced.

#EUelections2019 - Children’s rights

Voting session

EP Plenary Session - International Day of Play: promoting children’s right to play

Poverty has many dimensions. Following recent crises, not least the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, some of poverty's known dimensions have evolved while new forms have emerged. Addressing poverty remains mainly the responsibility of EU countries' governments acting in complex national social settings. The EU meanwhile seeks to coordinate Member States' efforts and offers support in the form of funding and data. The new European Commission is stepping up efforts to meet the EU's poverty reduction targets.

EU action against poverty

Roundtable discussion on Strengthening cooperation for children’s rights in Europe

EP Plenary session - Combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children

EP Plenary session - Strengthening children’s rights in the EU - 35th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

EP Plenary session - Creation of a European initiative for an annual designation of European capitals for childrenEP Plenary session - Creation of a European initiative for an annual designation of European capitals for children

LIBE - Vote on Laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse

EP Plenary session - Children's Right

JURI Committee - Exchange of views with EP coordinator on Children's Rights

Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D, DA), Rapporteur, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, and Ivaylo VALCHEV (ECR, BG), CULT Committee open the debate on the protection of minors online. MEPs debate a report calling for accelerating the enforcement of the EU Digital Services Act and the AI Act, while closing legal gaps to ensure online services are safe for minors to use. Sounding the alarm over the mental health risks and rising social media addiction among children and adolescents, MEPs want to ban the most harmful addictive practices for minors and for the EU to take action against persuasive technologies and practices such as targeted ads, influencer marketing, addictive design, loot boxes and dark patterns. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Protection of minors online: opening statements by Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D, DA), Rapporteur, Henna VIRKKUNEN Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Ivaylo VALCHEV (ECR, BG), CULT Committee

MEPs debate on updating EU-wide legislation on child sexual abuse crimes to account for technological advances and to improve victim support. The legislation would revise the definitions of crimes to take account of new technological realities, raise certain maximum punishments, and provide better support to victims. The draft law criminalises child sexual abuse instruction manuals and artificially-created deepfake imagery, among other things. Closing statements

Combating the sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material : Closing statements by Magnus BRUNNER, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration and Jeroen LENAERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur

MEPs debate on updating EU-wide legislation on child sexual abuse crimes to account for technological advances and to improve victim support. The legislation would revise the definitions of crimes to take account of new technological realities, raise certain maximum punishments, and provide better support to victims. The draft law criminalises child sexual abuse instruction manuals and artificially-created deepfake imagery, among other things. MEPs debate

Combating the sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material: MEPs debate (part 2)

Combating the sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material: MEPs debate (part 1)

MEPs debate on updating EU-wide legislation on child sexual abuse crimes to account for technological advances and to improve victim support. The legislation would revise the definitions of crimes to take account of new technological realities, raise certain maximum punishments, and provide better support to victims. The draft law criminalises child sexual abuse instruction manuals and artificially-created deepfake imagery, among other things. Opening statements. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Combating the sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material : Opening statements by Jeroen LENAERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur, Magnus BRUNNER, European Commissioner and Heléne FRITZON (S&D, SE), FEMM Committee

EP President, Roberta METSOLA, addresses the Meta pan-European Youth Summit at the Square Convention Centre in Brussels. The conference titled "Youth Safety in a Digital World" focuses on how to support parents and young people to safely navigate online spaces.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President at the Meta Pan-European Youth Summit: extracts from the address

MEPs debate on the creation of a European initiative for an annual designation of European capitals for children. Closing statement by Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography.

EP Plenary session - Creation of a European initiative for an annual designation of European capitals for children: Closing statement by the Commission

MEPs debate on the creation of a European initiative for an annual designation of European capitals for children. Opening statement by Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

EP Plenary session - Creation of a European initiative for an annual designation of European capitals for children: Opening statement by the Commission

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