Justice and Consumers

24 March 2021 was a big day for the rights of the child, for the European Commission and for the rights of the child team. The Commission adopted two policy documents that will push forward efforts to protect, support and empower children in the EU and beyond: the EU Strategy on the rights of the child and the European Child Guarantee. This strategy has been prepared for and with children. More than 10 000 children contributed to the strategy during consultation process that preceded the adoption. Children also worked on the child friendly versions of the Strategy, which are also accessible. Keep an eye on the newly updated website as it will be available in all EU languages in the coming weeks. A big thank you goes to all who contributed to the consultations and supported us. We still count on you, as the work has only started.

The Strategy was adopted on 24 March 2021. Building on the work done so far, the strategy puts forward actions to better respond to current challenges and ultimately better protect children, promote their rights and empower them to participate in political and democratic life, both inside and outside the EU. It also aims to better mainstream children’s rights across Commission policies and services, improve cooperation between relevant actors and invest more in capacity building and specific training of professionals.

Children should have access to information provided in a child friendly way so they know what their rights are and, in this case, what the EU plans to do for them. That was our objective when working on the strategy. The Commission wants to lead by example for a meaningful child participation. The consultations with children in preparation of the strategy were only the beginning. The child friendly versions of the strategy are a continuation of the path that led to a strategy designed for and with children.

Together with the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Council recommendation on a European Child Guarantee.. While the EU Strategy promotes and protect the rights of all children, the European Child Guarantee aims to break the cycle of poverty and promote equal opportunities by guaranteeing access to a set of key services for children in need (under 18 year old at risk of poverty or social exclusion).