Justice and Consumers

The adoption of this recommendation keeps the promise made in the 2021 Strategy on the Rights of Child and aims to support the development and the strengthening of integrated child protection systems to encourage all relevant authorities and services to better work together in a system that puts the child at the centre. The Recommendation is part of a package, including a Staff Working Document, an Annex and a Communication.

The EU Children's Participation Platform asked children across Europe about what helps keep them safe. The ideas that children have shared helped the European Union draft the ‘Recommendation on integrated child protection systems’. Between May and October 2023, 1,095 children from 21 countries of the European Union took part in the consultations. 73% of children were aged between 14 and 17, 27% were between 7 and 13.

The report from the public consultation on Integrated Child Protection Systems is available online. This consultation was launched to gather views from a wide range of stakeholders and the public, to inform the preparation of the Commission Recommendation on Integrated Child Protection Systems.

More than 70 people from all over the EU participated in the 4th meeting of the EU Network for children's rights. They represented national authorities and civil society organisations. During the meeting, the Commission presented and discussed the Recommendation on integrated child protection systems and the implementation of the EU Strategy on the rights of the child.

The EU is seeking innovative projects that address violence against children, including on improving functioning of integrated child protection systems. The deadline for submission of applications has been extended to 29 May 2024.

In January 2024, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published the update of their mapping on child protection systems in the EU. This document gives an overview of the state of child protection systems at national level and developments since the first publication in 2015 and promotes the improvement of integrated child protection systems. It helped in drafting the Recommendation on integrated child protection systems.