Safe Use of the INTERNET

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

1999

2004

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

TEMPORARY

2002/0071(COD)

11 June 2002

DRAFT OPINION

of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

to the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

regarding the proposal for a Council decision amending Decision No. 276/1999/EC which approved the multiannual Community action programme for promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks

(COM(2002) 152 – C5‑0141/2002 – 2002/0071(COD))

Draftswoman: Anna Karamanou

HISTORY OF THE PROCEDURE

At its meeting on April 18, 2002, the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality appointed Ms. Anna Karamanou as the rapporteur for the opinion.

At its meeting(s) on …, the committee examined the draft opinion.

At the last meeting as mentioned above, the committee approved the following amendments with … votes in favor, … votes against, and … abstentions (or) unanimously.

The following Members were present during the vote: … (Chairperson/acting as Chair), … (Vice-Chair), … (Vice-Chair), … (Rapporteur), …, … (Substitute …), … (Substitute … in accordance with Article 153, paragraph 2, of the Rules of Procedure), … and … .

SUMMARY OF THE RATIONALE

Community Action Programme for the Promotion of Safer Internet Use by Combating Illegal and Harmful Content on Global Networks (Decision No. 276/1999).

This program for safer Internet use, which has been a major element of the Commission’s activities in this field, is set to expire on December 31, 2002. Given its success (19 projects have already been implemented, and 9 additional projects have been selected for funding from the 2001 budget), as well as the expected increase in the use of the Internet and other online technologies, which will lead to a corresponding increase and greater diversity of illegal and harmful content, the Commission proposes extending the current action program for an additional two years and expanding its scope.

With the new action program, users will have the ability to report illegal content, greater public awareness will be sought regarding safer Internet use, enforcement methods and the corresponding financial framework will be expanded, and candidate countries for accession will also participate in the program.

Although the expansion of child protection in this area to address other forms of illegal and harmful content (racism, violence, etc.) is absolutely necessary and has been delayed excessively, it does not appear that enough emphasis has been placed on protecting human dignity. Human dignity can be violated by any offensive or unnatural portrayal that could offend the sensibilities of young people or distort reality with the aim of encouraging certain particularly vulnerable groups of people to purchase specific products or services.

It is therefore necessary for the new action program to include provisions for the protection of human dignity, as well as for the protection of certain special categories of consumers.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality calls on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, which is responsible for the substance, to incorporate the following amendments into its report:

Text proposed by the Committee ^[1]

Amendments of the Parliament.

Amendment 1

Article 1, paragraph (3a) (new)

Decision No. 276/1999/EC is amended as follows:	Decision No. 276/1999/EC is amended as follows:
	*(3a) In Article 3, the first dash is amended as follows:*
– promotion of self-regulation by the industry and content monitoring programs (which will cover child pornography or content inciting hatred based on race, gender, religion, nationality, or ethnic origin),	– promotion of self-regulation by the industry and content monitoring programs (which will cover child pornography, *or content that could cause physical, mental, or moral harm*, or content inciting hatred based on race, gender, religion, nationality, or ethnic origin),

Justification

Amendment 2

Article 1, paragraph (3b) (new)

	*(3b) In Article 3, after the third dash, the following new dash is inserted:*
	– ensuring high levels of protection for consumers, particularly for women, who are the most frequent users of commercial online services, while paying particular attention to avoiding the exploitation of the trust, innocence, and vulnerability of children in advertising and promotional offers aimed at commercial exploitation;

Justification

Amendment 3

Article 1, paragraph (3c) (new)

Decision No. 276/1999/EC is amended as follows:	Decision No. 276/1999/EC is amended as follows:
	*(3c) In Article 3, the fourth dash is completed as follows:*
– support actions, such as the assessment of legal consequences,	– support actions, such as the assessment of legal consequences for any natural or legal person or persons responsible for harmful and/or illegal content;

Justification

^[1] ΕΕ C ….