The European Parliament adopted, on 7 April 2022, with an overwhelming majority a Resolution on the EU Protection of children and young people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Resolution features important provisions to address the specific plight of children and young people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. It stresses to need for the creation of a robust registration system at the border, to track and monitor children, with a particular attention of unaccompanied children to ensure they do not go missing or worse, end up in the hands of traffickers. It also includes strong measures to for the integration of these children in the hosting countries granting them immediate access to education and health on equal footing with their EU national peers, so as to ensure all these children are given a real change to excel and reach their full potential.
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On 8 March 2022, the European Commission released its proposal on EU-wide rules to combat violence against women and domestic violence. The proposed Directive, once adopted, will criminalise rape based on lack of consent, female genital mutilation and cyber violence, which includes: non-consensual sharing of intimate images; cyber stalking; cyber harassment; and cyber incitement to violence or hatred. The new rules will also strengthen victims' access to justice and encourage Member States to implement a one-stop shop mechanism, meaning that all support and protection services would be located in the same place. The proposal also calls for adequate and specialised protection and support, for instance, through free of charge helplines and rape crisis centres. It also provides for targeted support for groups with specific needs or at risk, including women fleeing armed conflict. Contributing to the EU Strategy on Children’s rights, this proposal notably aims at providing for specific safeguards for children victims of violence against women or of domestic violence. They will guarantee, for example, that children can easily report offences and are provided with safe places for with parent offenders, who have rights of access.
Until 30 June 2022, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child invites young people from around the world to complete a questionnaire that will help shape the General Comment No. 26 (on Children’s Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change). This is the official UN guidance on what governments must do to uphold children’s rights and protect our planet. This consultation will help fill gaps in their current understanding of certain key issues and clarify difficult concepts (e.g. rights of future generations). Most importantly, it will integrate the voices of children and young people, as the most impacted by the issue.
Funding opportunities
internal reference JUST/2021/PR/CCHI/RIGH/0056
Are you looking for EU funding for projects to become part of the European e-justice area? Under the JUSTICE programme 2.8 million EUR are available for national and cross-border projects to facilitate effective and non-discriminatory access to justice for all, including by electronic means (e-Justice), by promoting efficient civil and criminal procedures.
Destined to: Member State governments, local and regional authorities and their associations, equality bodies, civil society organisations, in particular women’s rights organisations, and other stakeholders
Public consultations
The European Commission published a Roadmap for the Evaluation of the Victims’ Rights Directive Directive (Directive 2012/29/EU). It is open for feedback until 30 December 2020. As part of the EU strategy on victims’ rights, this initiative will evaluate the Directive to assess to what extent it has achieved its objectives in terms of its implementation and practical application in EU countries. The new strategy aims to empower victims of crime and to work together for victims' rights. It also promotes an integrated and targeted EU approach to support victims with special needs, such as child victims.
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Events
On 29 and 30 March the RAN Communication and Narratives (C&N) Working Group will hold an online meeting on ‘Antisemitism as a part of almost all extremist ideologies and narratives’.
Call for proposals for Town-Twinning and Networks of Towns Info Day
Online Info Session CERV-2022-DAPHNE
Newsletters
23 April 2022 - The Commission welcomes the swift political agreement reached between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the proposal on the Digital Services Act (DSA), proposed by the Commission in December 2020.
28 March 2022 - Katharina von Schnurbein met with Marek Siwiec, CEO of Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center (BYHMC), and Ruslan Kavatsiuk, Deputy CEO, to discuss the impact of the Russian military agression on Ukraine on Ukrainian Jews, Ukrainian Jewish heritage and the work of BYHMC.
31 March 2022 - The European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life joined a panel discussion of special, Lord John Mann (United Kingdom), Dr. Felix Klein (Germany) and US Deputy Special envoy Aaron Keyak at the hybrid Jerusalem Post Conference gathering about 450 people at the Tottenham Stadium premises.