Sir, - Earlier this year, in June, the Fianna Fail group in the European Parliament, the Union, for Europe, held an in depth debate in Dublin. The group put forward proposals for a report on the protection of underage children who are victims of violence" in the European Union.
Our discussion predated the tragic events which unfolded in Belgium in August. There can be no hiding place for paedophiles in society, no legal loopholes, no equivocation. Children and young people everywhere represent our future.
On the basis of our initiative, pursued through the European Parliament, a major debate took place in Strasbourg recently. This enabled Parliament to place on record very specific demands aimed at the European Commission and the Council of Ministers. We have asked the Commission to indicate what proposals it is prepared to put forward, at European level, aimed at fighting the phenomenon of violence against children, including all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.
For some time I have been pursuing two essential aspects. The first is the need to ensure that in the European Treaty, a special reference is made to children. Provisions for the human rights of minors, whereby they will be entitled, in the same way as any other citizen, to enjoy fully the fundamental rights and freedoms recognised by the Community (barring those restrictions, of course, laid down by laws specifically where children are concerned) must be inserted in the Treaty on European Union. A legal base is essential to provide for European actions.
A vital initiative would be the establishment of a European register of child abusers, under the auspices of Europol, so that paedophiles can be tracked down and monitored by national police forces. Recently, to my astonishment, the Green group in the European Parliament effectively vetoed an amendment from our parliamentary group, seeking such a register.
There is a strong need for ongoing, concerted action. I urge your readers to write to each of the embassies in Dublin representing the 14 other member states of the European Union, and to call on their governments to support the inclusion in the Treaty on European Union of a special reference to children which will enable the European Union to do everything in its power to tackle and halt the activities of paedophiles.
While welcoming wholeheartedly the five point declaration issued by the Irish Presidency of the Council on behalf of the European Union, on the sexual exploitation of children, I am disturbed at the failure of the Council to state that it intends, in the IGC review of the Treaties, to include a specific reference to children. This is not good enough.
The second issue, on which I have specifically spoken in Parliament and in Dublin, relates to the misuse of technologies, particularly the Internet. I wrote to the Commission about my concerns, and am pleased to see that Commission President Santer has now announced that the Commission intends to submit proposals for the fight against paedophilia which include the use of the Internet, as well as sexual tourism and Europol. - Yours, etc.,
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