European Union FRA Annual Report 2011: major child rights challenges facing the EU

Project : TDHIF in Europe 20 Jun 2011 | abuse child rights fum

Brussels, 15 June 2011*. “In Europe about 19.4% of children are physi­cally maltreated within the family and 32.6% of children are victims of bullying” reveals the 2011 Annual Report of the Fundamental Rights Agency, launched today.

According to the report, violence against children in domestic and institutional settings, child sexual abuse and exploitation, child trafficking, separated children in a migration or asylum context are major challenges facing the EU. Many child rights violations were reported in Poland, Spain, Ireland, Bulgaria, Denmark… and other countries across Europe.

In early 2011, the European Commission released its Communication on an ‘EU Agenda for the rights of the child’, setting out a programme of action for the coming years, in order to turn the rights of the child into reality through EU legislation. European Commission’s hotline for missing children, FRA’s child protection data indicators, Council of Europe’s Guidelines on Child Friendly Justices, among others, were cited in the report as initiatives implemented at European level for child rights in Europe.

Terre des Hommes welcomes the FRA’s 2011 annual report which provides*important data on child protection in Europe*.“This monitoring exercise shows that much more can be done in order to make child rights a reality in European everyday life”, said Salvatore Parata, Head of European Office, Terre des Hommes International Federation.