Opinion on a Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (recast)

4.2.2025

Mr Javier Zarzalejos

Chair

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

BRUSSELS

Subject: Opinion on a Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (recast) (COM(2024)0060 – C90028/2024 – 2024/0035(COD))

Dear Mr Chair,

Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Culture and Education has been granted an opinion to your committee. At their meeting of 21 October 2024, the coordinators decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter. They considered the matter and endorsed the opinion on 03 December 2024.

The Committee on Culture and Education adopted the following position on 30 January 2025 and I call on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its final report.

Yours sincerely,

Nela Riehl

SUGGESTIONS

A. European strategies and national frameworks

Stresses the importance of mentioning the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) as the digital arm of the rights of the child strategy to protect and empower young people online (Recital 3, Recital 40) and of the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade (Recital 3). Member States should adopt comprehensive frameworks to ensure that children's digital rights are prioritised, by combining prevention and education, with a particular focus on inclusive and equal access to a safe digital environment, justice and care for all children.

B. Online solicitation of children

Highlights the importance of continuously addressing emerging challenges, especially in the online environment, including in virtual worlds, and to carry out periodic evaluations of the legal framework; emphasizes the urgent need to address more effectively the solicitation of children, covering both in person and online means of communication, and explicitly include meetings taking place in both real and virtual worlds under Article 6, paragraph 1 (a).

C. Hotlines, helplines and support services

Underlines the role of hotlines and helplines to provide assistance to victims and their families, which should be mentioned under Article 21, paragraph 1; stresses that all support services for victims and their families should be comprehensive, specialised, accessible, child-friendly and available in one place, based on the “Barnahus” model (Article 21, paragraph 2);

D. Training for those interacting with children

Stresses the need for national frameworks to better integrate digital education and literacy at school as mandatory skills and an essential part of education; underlines that regular training should be provided for all those who have any contact with children, as a way to prevent and identify any form of child sexual abuse and exploitation, and ensure mandatory regular training for those working with children in all settings, formal and informal; stresses that volunteers and coaches should be mentioned in the list of those eligible to receive regular training, given their significant role in interacting with children and young people (Article 28 paragraph 2, Article 28 paragraph 3, Article 28 paragraph 4, Recital 36, Recital 46); this training must focus on creating equitable, safe, and inclusive environments for all children (Article 28 paragraph 4 (a));

E. Initiatives by organisations and safe spaces

Highlights that leading initiatives of organisations acting in the public interest against child sexual abuse, when these organisations have been authorised by the competent authorities of the Member State in which they are established (such as hotlines and helplines), should be included in the list of entities that contribute to the creation of safe, accessible and inclusive spaces for children mentioned under Article 28 paragraph 4 (c); those spaces must prioritise community-based and child-centred approaches (Article 28 paragraph 4 (c));

F. Indicators and monitoring

Calls for Member States to set up indicators to measure on a regular basis (i.e. yearly) results concerning their awareness-raising and victim assistance programmes, including the impact, outreach, and effectiveness of the activities carried out, to be mentioned under Article 31 (c). A separate chapter should be entirely dedicated to the results related to the most marginalised and vulnerable groups.

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, Zala Tomašič, the rapporteur for the CULT opinion, received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the opinion, prior to the adoption thereof in committee:

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur for the opinion

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur for the opinion declares that she has submitted to the concerned natural persons the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.