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Over the last years, the European Union has placed child rights on its political agenda. One of the first steps were taken in the year 2000, when the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union was adopted. Article 24 of this charter ensures children’s right to protection, ensures that the best interest of the child is a primary concern and that children have the right to be heard. Other articles are also of relevance to children, such as non-discrimination and the right to education. In 2006 the Commission published a communication, “Towards an EU Strategy on the rights of the child”, analysing what has been done so far at EU level to promote and protect child rights and raising the need for a comprehensive EU strategy, to ensure that child rights are taken into account in all EU policies and activities. The development of a comprehensive EU strategy on the rights of the child is currently under way within the Commission. The Commission has also set up a European Forum for the Rights of the Child, gathering member states, EU institutions, other international organisations, non-governmental organisations, experts and children to exchange experiences twice a year.
In 2007 the Lisbon Treaty was adopted by the member States. The Treaty will hopefully enter into force in 2009 meaning for the first time child rights will be included in an EU treaty, thereby expanding the possibilities for all EU institutions to work on this issue. This new treaty replaces all existing EU treaties and combining them into one.
Save the Children Sweden, together with its 12 sister organizations in Europe, has been actively involved in advocacy activities which have ensured the above mentioned actions by the EU. To ensure an efficient work towards all the EU institutions, Save the Children Europe Group has set up an advocacy office in Brussels. The overarching goals of the activities of this office are:
To ensure a child rights based approach into the EU strategy on the rights of the child and the European forum on the rights of the child;
To ensure mainstreaming of children rights in specific external and internal EU policies, funding and legislation affecting children, with specific focus on:
o Children affected by migration
o Child protection
o Children in external relations (EU development and humanitarian assistance programme and policies)
Save the Children Europe Group has over the years been very successful in its advocacy work. It has been very involved in ensuring the inclusion of children’s rights in the Lisbon Treaty, as well as in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and was highly involved in drafting the Commission Communication outlining the need for an EU strategy. Save the Children is currently working closely with the Commission to ensure that the EU strategy it will soon start drafting will have a clear child rights perspective. The Office in Brussels work closely with some members of the European Parliament. Through this collaboration Save the Children has managed to influence the texts of several reports from the Parliament. One important action was taken following the Commission Communication from 2006, when Save the Children, together with Plan International, organised a consultation with children on what they thought the EU should focus on. Many of the recommendations from the children were included in the Parliament report on the Communication. Over the years, the Brussels’ office has produced several documents, which has been submitted to the different EU institutions. You can find them here.