Javier ZARZALEJOS (EPP, ES), Rapporteur, gives a statement about the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) voting a proposal to lay down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse online. The proposal suggests that service providers should be obligated to evaluate the substantial risks of their platforms being used for online child sexual abuse and grooming. It also proposes granting judicial authorities the authority to issue time-limited orders for detecting and removing such materials and establishing an EU Center for Child Protection. This center, among its various responsibilities, would serve as the primary complaint channel for the entire European Union. This news item shows extracts from the vote in the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) and a statement of Javier Zarzalejos, Rapporteur on the proposal for laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse.

Brussels

statement

vote

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

fight against child sex crimes (T)

rights of the child (T)

children's rights (T)

ZARZALEJOS, Javier (EPP, ES)

Delivery EE2024 (T)

Vote on Laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse online: extracts from the vote and statement by Javier ZARZALEJOS (EPP, ES), Rapporteur

External shot of the European Parliament in Brussels

Cutaways of the vote on Laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse (7 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Javier ZARZALEJOS (EPP, ES), Rapporteur, This has been a sensitive, complex and controversial file. But the fact that it might have attracted broad support from all political groups are really encouraging. So we really mark an important milestone in the fight against child sexual abuse online.

Cutaways of the vote on Laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse (3 shots)

Final vote on adoption of draft report (51 for, 2 against, 1 abstentions) (3 shots)

Vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations (48 for, 2 against, 2 abstentions) (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Javier ZARZALEJOS (EPP, ES), Rapporteur, We are addressing the three types of material that he's already known, the new material that is abroad and disseminated in the web and grooming. Grooming is definitely within the scope of the regulation. The risk assessment that all the companies will have to conduct on their services will have to take account of the risk, specific risk of grooming, detection. Grooming is still in place and the prevention measures and the mitigation measures also will have to address the issue of grooming. The only difference with the proposal of the Commission is that grooming has been taken out of the scope of the detection notice, pending a specific legislative proposal of the Commission. That's it. But definitely solicitation of children is a major concern and we have provided we are offering tools to address it.

SOUNDBITE (English), Javier ZARZALEJOS (EPP, ES), Rapporteur, This is a controversial file. We know that from the beginning. And all the positions of the different political groups expressed these differences. So, we have to to invest a lot of time, both at technical and political level, in order to build a compromise. Some would say that it goes too far, some would say this goes it fell short of what is is needed. I think that we have a very effective proposal, a very effective legislation that could be put in place that will increase enormously the prevention side of the of the problem that sit ups such as an European centre for child protection, which is an extremely important innovation and which makes it mandatory, not voluntary, mandatory for all companies offering services in the European Union to conduct risk assessment, to set up mitigation measures. And if these measures are not effective enough, there will be subject to a detection order.

SOUNDBITE (English), Javier ZARZALEJOS (EPP, ES), Rapporteur, The new centre will be a is a centre of of excellence. So it will be deeply involved in the development of new technologies to fight child sexual abuse. All the reports will be forwarded to the European centre and then the European centre will pass this report once they have assessed to law enforcement and and Europol.