[child-rights] EURONET calls for full recognition of children's rights in the EU

Brussels, 20 November 2002 -The European Children's Network (EURONET), on 
behalf of all its members and together with other Civil Society 
organisations, EU representatives and European Convention members, calls 
for full recognition of children's rights in the EU on the anniversary of 
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Over the past decade, the Convention has proven to be a valuable tool to 
promote the rights of children everywhere around the world. However, the 
European Union, which is not a signatory of the CRC, has been slow to 
recognise and implement children's rights - animals have achieved rights in 
the Treaty before children.

In Europe, mainstreaming children would recognise the "transnationality" of 
children's rights, which is illustrated by all the EU directives that 
affect children, such as in the area of media and consumer policy, but also 
asylum policies and policies to combat child trafficking or child abuse.

EURONET calls on all members of the Convention for the Future of Europe and 
EU governments to incorporate children into the new EU Constitutional 
Treaty, currently in drafting phase. This will ensure that children are no 
longer affected in negative ways by all those EU policies and legislation 
that do not take children's rights and interests into account.

For more information, contact:
Carolina Santrich
Project Officer / Press Relations
EURONET, The European Children's Network
Tel: 00 32 (0)2 512 4500; Fax. 00 32 (0)2 513 4903;
Email: europeanchildrenetwork@skynet.be