During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 March 2021), MEPs debate on Children's Rights. Opening statements by Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D,ES), Author and by Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography. (This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery).

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

LÓPEZ AGUILAR, Juan Fernando (S&D, ES)

rights of the child (T)

children's rights (T)

ŠUICA, Dubravka (EPP, HR, EC)

European child guarantee (T)

Children's Rights - Oral question to Commission: opening statements by Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), Author and by Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Madam President. Commissioner, let me say publicly, congratulations. Congratulations on the birth of your first grandson and congratulations on becoming a grandmother. What a happy occasion. But it's my honour now to present to you the outcome of the joint work that we undertook. Which takes the form of a question for oral answer on from the Civil Liberties Committee. And we deal here with the rights of children, minors, boys and girls. And we do this now.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Author, In the wake of the commission's presentation on the strategy, on the rights of children, which we eagerly await to come forward on the 24th of March. So it's an opportune time now to present to you the outcome of our work in this March plenary. We are trying to answer five questions here.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Author, The directive on the national plans for the strategy. And we want to focus now with a holistic approach that we are calling on for a focus on the most vulnerable minors in our society. We want to ensure that children are represented. And that member states are obliged and compelled to provide financial support. But also the European Commission. We want a clear link between the sustainable development agenda and to take full account of the devastating impact of the covid-19 pandemic, which we know has hit the European Union in every imaginable way and in every member state.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Author, So against this backdrop, we need to be aware of the fact that children's rights are laid down in the charter of fundamental right and they are specifically named and they are enshrined in the Constitution of the member states. All of these constitutions Von der Leyen the principle of acting in the child's best interest. And if we look at that in the criminal proceedings that is enshrined in all the legal systems and let's not forget Article 25.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Author, Of the Rights of Child talks about respecting the rights of children and in the strongest terms prohibits all forms of child labour and guarantees children full access to the education system. So this resolution that will be adopted in the European Parliament deals with every possible aspect of this issue. It is a very wide ranging 27 recitals and 40 paragraphs set out in this resolution, setting out every aspect facing young people, young people from migration background.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Author, In many cases, we have some 200 million people, minors, without a nation who are looking for refuge in Europe and there is now a link also to the issue of child sexual abuse, child pornography, and the directive of 2011, which is binding upon all member states. We need to remember that many victims of sexual exploitation are minors. So we need to ensure that the directive of 2016 on procedural rights and guaranteeing young people access to legal remedy is fully respected. Special support is given to children and children are supported throughout legal proceedings.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Author, Well, there was also childhood poverty and we need to ensure that the European Union has a mandate to deal with these issues. There are 150 million children living in poverty in the European Union and in the near vicinity of the European Union. And then there are 73 million children who are the victims of sexual exploitation and sexual slavery. This morning we talked about the European social pillar and there's a great deal of hope in placed in that. But we can't talk about the social pillar if we can't protect the rights of minors and children.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Author, And here, obviously, we have the upcoming strategy, but also when it comes to development policy, because this will show and we need to develop these policies because this will show the parliament's commitment to protecting children responsibly. Thank you very much, Madame Commissioner.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, VP of the European Commission, Dear members. Thank you for your question in the context of our work on the upcoming European Union strategy on the rights of the child. I have already engaged the honourable members on this. And I thank you for all your contributions. Together with national authorities, we work to counter the negative consequences of the pandemic on children this year. My hope is that children everywhere will be able to return to school safely.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the European Commission, Hopes require actions. Therefore, on 24th of March, the commission will double its first ever comprehensive European Union strategy on the rights of the child. We want to achieve a child's rights based culture in our policy making. To answer your first question, member states are key partners. The strategy will contain concrete recommendations for action at member state level. Member states representatives can have been extensively consulted.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the European Commission, In our expert group, we are working with the current and future presidencies to facilitate member states endorsement of the strategy. We will also launch an European Union network for children rights to facilitate mutual learning between member states and to track the progress of action at national and European Union level. In response to your second question on vulnerable children and non-discrimination, I must emphasise that child rights are universal. Every child, regardless of background, gender, social, economic and social status, should enjoy the same rights, the same rights, free of discrimination.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the European Commission, This will be the guiding principle of the strategy, targeted actions I envisaged under the thematic sections to address specific needs. Regarding your question on the meaningful participation of children. I want to be very clear. Not only is this a strategy for children, it is also a strategy developed with children. Children are engaged citizens. More than 10000 children were consulted in the preparation of the strategy and the child guarantee. This is unprecedented. We will also include children and young people in the deliberations of the conference on the future of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the European Commission, To answer your first question, the overall objective of the strategy will be to achieve the mainstreaming of child race in all European Union policies. For example, the digital decade communication includes specific principles we are working on implementing the Commission strategy to fight online child sexual abuse, the protection of children in our migration policy, and supporting child victims and children with cancer that the European of the Europe Beat Cancer Plan illustrate the necessity necessity of this mainstreaming approach. The strategy will be adopted together with the proposal for a council recommendation of the European Union Child Guarantee, which will tackle social exclusion, poverty and inequalities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the European Commission You have asked about the funding. I'm particularly pleased that the agreement reached on the European social fund plus at least five percent of allocated money is earmarked for tackling child poverty under the child guarantee. Increased investment in children means the member state that member states must be encouraged to allocate European Union funding for the implementation of the objectives and measures of the strategy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the European Commission To answer your fifth question, the strategy will be fully anchored in the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights in the European Union Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it will also contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. The global dimension of child rights and protection will be addressed in a dedicated section.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the European Commission, To answer your fifth question, the strategy will be fully anchored in the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights in the European Union Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it will also contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. The global dimension of child rights and protection will be addressed in a dedicated section.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the European Commission, And your last question touches on the pandemic. Every single thematic area of the strategy has been affected by the consequences of this pandemic, so we will leave no stone unturned in our bid to understand the full effects on children's health, development and well-being. Thank you for listening and I am also ready to listen to your views. Thank you.