Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-01-15-Speech-2-176"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080115.24.2-176"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, I want to start by thanking Mrs Angelilli and all the shadow rapporteurs, but also all the Members who have contributed to getting us to a point where we shall soon have the first decision of the European Parliament on an EU strategy on the rights of the child. The key question concerns the involvement and influence of children. There will be some painstaking and important work to be done in order to ensure that this becomes a reality and not just words. Children and young people expect as much.
The point that I consider to have been the greatest success is the proposal concerning violence against children. The committee has unanimously backed my demand that all violence against children, including corporal punishment in the home, must be prohibited by Community legislation. It is a great success for children. In my home country, Sweden, where corporal punishment is banned, every child at nursery school and all young people know that adults may not strike a child. The fact that we are now making it clear that there must be cooperation in putting an end to all forms of abuse of children means that we need increased cooperation from relevant bodies such as banks, travel firms, credit firms and exchange bureaux to stop child pornography, sex tourism and the exploitation of children, and to get an internet which is safe from paedophiles. Illegal websites must also be shut down. Member States must legislate against buying sex in order to ensure that children do not become a trade commodity.
The most difficult problem we had in the committee related to adoption. I am very happy that we are now agreed that a child has a right to a family , irrespective of whether it is the child’s own family, a foster family or through national or international adoption. It is the child’s best interests which should decide the matter, not adults’ best interests. We all remember what happened at children’s homes in Romania and Guatemala recently – kidnappings of children for adoption are fresh in our memories. Children are not a trade commodity.
It is now up to the Commission to listen to the wisdom which we have shown in Parliament and to come back with concrete proposals on how we are to give effect to children’s rights which now, with the new Lisbon Treaty, become an objective to be embodied in law in the EU. With the new Lisbon Treaty the EU must listen and ensure that the rights of children are integrated into its work. This must happen as a matter of course and must also apply in the global perspective, in development work, in culture and in all areas. Child poverty will of course be a central issue, but also the question of how children fare in war and in relation to health risks of all kinds. I am proud to have participated in this work in Parliament, which will take a decision on the matter tomorrow."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples