JUSTICE AND CONSUMERS - Newsletter on rights of the child No 4 2018

Finance projects focusing on the exchange of good practices and/or provision of the necessary training so as to support the implementation/expansion/improvement of alternative care systems (such as family-based care, or foster care, or supervised independent housing arrangements) or of effective alternatives to detention. (Projects with an exclusively national/regional/local focus should seek AMIF funding via the National Programmes, taking account of projects already co-funded in this area).

A functional mailbox is available for requests: HOME-AMIF-UNION-ACTIONS@ec.europa.eu

There will be 2 webcast Info sessions to allow applicants to submit questions related to the methodology and preparation of the applications (not on specific eligibility of applicants or applications). The links to the webcasts will be posted in the call page closer end September / early December (indicatively).

2. 16.04.2018 – Reminder on open call for proposals - Call for proposals to prevent and combat gender-based violence and violence against children - deadline for proposals: 13.11.2018

Opening date for submissions: 08.03.2018

There are five funding priorities:

Prevention of gender-based violence (GBV): The focus of this priority is on primary prevention, in particular changing social norms and behaviour, in order to end tolerance of all forms of gender-based violence
Protection and support for victims and witnesses (including children) of domestic violence, including through tackling under-reporting, promoting multi-disciplinary cooperation, and capacity building for relevant professionals
The coordination and/or adaptation of support services for sexual and gender-based violence to include refugees and migrants (children, women, LGBTI persons, men and boys), in particular to ensure their recovery from such trauma
Prevention and responding to cyber sexual- and gender-based violence (targeting children, women, LGBTI persons, men and boys), such as revenge porn, extortion with the use of sexual imagery ("sextortion"), sexual or gendered online harassment/bullying, grooming, etc.
Promoting the embedding of child safeguarding policies across different settings and sectors, such as sports clubs and organisations, extra-curricular activities and/or leisure/recreation clubs/organisations for children (including faith/church-led; scouts and girl guides, private schools), both as a means to protect and safeguard children as well as to equip staff with the necessary training and guidance.

Projects may be national or transnational and eligible countries are EU Member States and Iceland. Please read the call carefully and disseminate to anyone you know who may be interested.

3. 30.5.2018 – New funding programmes proposed by the Commission; Rights and Values programme and Justice programme.

The European Commission adopted in May the proposal for the funding programmes that will replace the current Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme and the Justice programme after 2020.

These proposals are key for funding activities in the justice, rights and values areas after 2020. The negotiations for the adoption of the general MFF package and for all funding programmes are ongoing.

Within the Second cluster "Cohesion and Values" of the EU Budget, the European Commission proposes a new Justice, Rights and Values Fund. This new Fund includes two funding programmes that will be managed directly by the Commission: the Rights and Values programme and Justice programme.

The Commission proposes a financial envelope of EUR 945.705.000 for the Justice, Rights and Values Fund EUR 641.705.000 for the Rights and Values programme and EUR 305.000.000 for the Justice programme.

The future Justice programme will continue to support the development of an integrated European justice area and cross-border cooperation in continuity with the current programme. It will support in particular judicial cooperation, judicial training and access to justice. The text of the proposal can be found here.

The future Rights and Values programme will support the promotion of rights and equality, the promotion of citizens' engagement and participation, and the fight against violence against women, children and other groups at risks. This new programme will combine the current "Rights, Equality and Citizenship" programme currently managed by DG Justice and Consumer and the "Europe for Citizens" programme currently managed by DG HOME. The text of the proposal can be found here.

European Commission - Events and Activities

4. 25-26.06.2018 - Child friendly justice and integrated child protection systems – lessons learned from EU-funded projects

The main goal of the conference which took place in Brussels last June was to showcase good practices and take stock of what has been done since 2011-2012 and to explore how EU funds can best support implementation and enforcement of the rights of the child, with a view also to informing future policy and funding priorities.

Documents are available here.

5. 11^th European Forum on the rights of the child - children deprived of their liberty and alternatives to detention

The report from the 2017 Forum is available on-line

Report on the 11^th. European Forum on the rights of the child: Children deprived of their liberty and alternatives to detention

Report of the side event: Pathways – the vulnerabilities of children concerned by deprivation of liberty

6. 8.5.2018 European Commission - Report "Barcelona objectives on the development of childcare facilities for young children with a view to increase female labour participation, strike a work-life balance for working parents and bring about sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe".

The European Commission has published the report on childcare facilities "Barcelona objectives on the development of childcare facilities for young children with a view to increase female labour participation, strike a work-life balance for working parents and bring about sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe". The report concludes that the EU Member States on average have reached the target of 33% of children aged 0-3, and are well on track for the second target of 90% of children aged 3 to mandatory school age in childcare. Set in 2002 by the European Council, these targets form a crucial part of the European Commission's strategy to ensure women can participate fully in the labour market.

The EU-average target has been reached at 33% of children under 3, but only 12 Member States have reached this target individually, whereas 16 Member States still have some way to go. Malta and Romania in particular have made enormous progress in their objectives, whilst other Member States have seen their target objective worsen in the past few years, like Greece, France and the United Kingdom. Denmark has more than doubled the target amount, providing childcare to 70% of toddlers. Childcare participation rates for children under 3 are particularly low in some States, such as 10% in Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland and less than 20% in Greece, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Hungary, Croatia and Romania.

7. 2018 - European Migration Network (EMN) studies

Study and Flash report (EMN Inform) on 'Unaccompanied Minors Following Status Determination in the EU plus Norway'

The report has been produced by EMN to explore the situation of unaccompanied children who had been granted a residence permit or issued a return decision, and the approaches established by the (Member) States to their integration or return during the period 2014-2017. The study also examines the situation of missing unaccompanied children, unaccompanied children who cannot be returned immediately, or who turned to 18 years. To the extent possible, the study also presents comparable data on unaccompanied children in the (Member) States at present, as well as over time (2014-2017), supplementing it with national statistics where available.

Link to the study and to the flash report.

Study 'The effectiveness of return in EU Member States'

The EMN conducted the study 'The effectiveness of return in EU Member States' with the goal to collect good practices and challenges in Member States’ application of EU rules on return and equivalent standards. The study is based on contributions from 22 Member States and refers to the situation in the States up to and including September 2017.

A particular chapter is dedicated to children, including information on categories of third-country nationals' vulnerabilities in the context of return and detention, assessment of the best interests of the child on return decision and state of health of third-country nationals.

8. 2018 – European Commission – The 2018 EU Justice Scoreboard provides some data on children in contact with the Justice system.

The Justice scoreboard is an information tool that provides comparable data on the independence, quality and efficiency of national justice systems. The scoreboard mainly focusses on civil, commercial and administrative cases to pave the way for a more investment, business and citizen-friendly environment.

The scoreboard compiled some information from MS particularly on children in contact with the justice system, such as targeted information for children, availability of training for judges on communication with parties and topics of surveys conducted among court users or legal professionals. The 2018 EU Justice Scoreboard is accessible here.

9. 4.6.2018 – European Commission - 2017 Annual report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

The 2017 Annual report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights contains some references to the improvements and challenges encountered for the rights of children.

10. Latest edition of the compilation of previously-funded REC projects updated 30 May 2018

The latest version of the REC projects updated 30 May 2018 is on-line.

Other EU institutions and agencies

12. 21.6.2018 - Council Conclusions - Integrated early childhood development policies as a tool for reducing poverty and promoting social inclusion

The Council adopted conclusions on integrated early childhood development policies as a tool for reducing poverty and promoting social inclusion providing all children with equal opportunities, following the commitments of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Europe 2020 Strategy to reduce poverty and the European Pillar of Social Rights, among others. The Council Conclusions stressed the importance to fight child poverty and social exclusion and promotion of child well-being through a multi-dimensional and integrated approach, including access to adequate resources, access to affordable quality services and child participation.

13. 3.5.2018 - European Parliament - Resolution on the Protection of children in migration

The European Parliament resolution on 'The protection of children in migration' is a stock tacking of the current situation for children in migration and a call for action for Member States and EU institutions to do more for the protection of this vulnerable group.

14. 27.4.2018 - FRA – Publication of studies on minimun age requirements

Differences in legal ages in the EU member states

FRA has published a new set of findings on differences in legal minimum ages to help the EU and its Member States eliminate inconsistencies, protection gaps and seemingly arbitrary restrictions resulting from different age thresholds through mapping the national legal age requirements in various areas (such as migration and justice) across the EU.

The web-publication 'Mapping minimum age requirements concerning the rights of the child in the EU' covers differences in legal minimum ages, including in the field of asylum and migration and the digital world.

Report: 'Age assessment and fingerprinting of children in asylum procedures – Minimum age requirements concerning children’s rights in the EU'.

This FRA report analyses the methods used by MS to conduct age assessment in asylum procedures and fingerprinting children under migration and asylum law procedures. The report provides insights and identifies the implications of collecting children’s biometric data and conducting age assessments.

The web-publication, 'Mapping minimum age requirements: Children's rights and justice', is devoted to children in the field of justice.

This report outlines Member States’ approaches to age requirements and limits regarding child participation in judicial proceedings; procedural safeguards for, and rights of, children involved in criminal proceedings; as well as issues related to depriving children of their liberty.

Report: Children's rights and justice – 'Minimum age requirements in the EU'

15. 06.2018 - FRA - Fundamental Rights report 2018

The 2018 Fundamental Rights report overviews the progress and setbacks in protection of rights in the EU. Chapter 8 focuses on rights of children, covering child poverty and social exclusion, the protection of children in migration as well as extremisms and radicalisation of children and young people.

16. 07.2018 - FRA - 'Transition from education to employment of young Roma in nine EU Member States'

As a follow up to the EU-MIDIS II findings on Roma, the report 'Transition from education to employment of young Roma in nine EU Member States' presents FRA’s findings relating to the issues of education and employment. Encouraging Roma participation in education and employment equips communities with higher incomes, better life opportunities and greater social inclusion.

Tackling exclusion, discrimination and anti-Gypsyism is key to achieving this, leading to better job security, benefits and income. There are other significant indicators highlighted in this report: socio-economic factors and socio-demographic factors.

Other Organisations

17. Council of Europe – Call for good or promising practices of child-friendly migration-related procedures

Deadline for submission or promising practices is 30.09.2018.

The Office of the Special Representative on migration and refugees of the Council of Europe is looking for examples of good or promising practices of migration-related procedures that are child-friendly. Selected examples will be published in a compilation of good practices being prepared under the Council of Europe Action plan on protecting refugee and migrant children (2017-2019).

Responding to this call will give states and other relevant stakeholders the opportunity to publicise their good practices, resulting in increased attention for and possible adoption of the practice in other Council of Europe member States.

Submissions should be sent to SRSG.Migration.Office@coe.int.

For more information, please see the call for good practices, which is available in English, French and Italian. The template is available in English only.

18. 20.05.2018 - International Commission of Jurists – Training materials on access to justice for migrant children

The International Commission of Jurists has published a set of training materials on access to justice for migrant children that were developed as part of the FAIR (Fostering Access to Immigrant children’s Rights) project.

These training modules should help lawyers when representing migrant children to increase their knowledge of the rights of the migrant children, to increase their understanding of the use of international redress mechanisms for violations of human rights of migrant children and give some advice on how to effectively communicate with child clients.

The materials are available in English, Bulgarian, German, Greek and Italian.

Studies and promising practices

19. 2018 - Several authors - Study 'Adaptive behaviour of sheltered homeless children in the French ENFAMS Survey'

A large French study among 557 children finds that 80% of children under 6 years old who are homeless suffer important development delays.

20. 03.2018 - Child care law reporting project - Coulter, C. - Report 'An examination of lengthy, contested and complex child protection cases in the district court'

The report analyses child protection cases and includes the direct experience of social worker's, lawyers, guardian's ad litem in their intervention in these cases.

21. 2018 - IDEA - SPARK, new self-care tool for professionals involved in child protection

SPARK is a new self-care tool for professionals involved in child protection developed by the UCC IDEA team to accompany the legal professionals involved in child protection work. Providing training on self-care for child protection professionals is one way to help make better decisions for children.

The SPARK tool is available in English and the website of the project contains other materials (including Hungarian training materials). It is part of the Idea project.

22. 25.5.2018 - Slovenia joints the 3^rd optional protocol to the Convention on the rights of the child on a communications procedure

Slovenia has ratified the 3^rd optional protocol to the Convention on the rights of the child on a communications procedure. Although the country had signed the Optional Protocol on 28 February 2012, the country has ratified it now.

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

22. Previous issues

You will find previous issues of the Newsletter on the rights of the child from January 2017 onwards here.

23. Subscribing to the newsletter

If someone forwarded this message to you and you wish to subscribe to this newsletter, or you received the newsletter and want your name deleted from the list, write to EC-CHILD-RIGHTS@ec.europa.eu – You may also write to us at the same address with suggested content for us to consider including in a future newsletter (always providing the URL – we do not attach documents.)

You may also subscribe online here.

This item has been seen 193 times. Thanks for your interest.

Newsletter on rights of the child No 4 2018 – 18 September 2018

Other Organisations