Doc. 11254
17 April 2007

The promotion of Internet and online media services appropriate for minors

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mr Walter and others

1.       The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recalls that the protection of minors from harmful media content is established in all member states with regard to television, film and print media. Through the development of new digital media services, many of these regulations are challenged.

2.       Member states should promote the creation of media content and services appropriate for minors as well as education for new media.

3.       The Assembly considers that child safety on the Internet is of increasing importance for the years to come due to the growing availability of Internet access, not only at home, at school and in cafes, but also through mobile telephones and other mobile Internet access.

4.       In this context, the Assembly recalls the instruments developed by the Council of Europe which set standards for the protection of Internet safety, in particular the Convention on Cyber Crime.

5.       The Assembly also recalls the practical work done by the European Commission under its Safer Internet action plan. The European Commission is currently pursuing work towards a new action plan for the budget years 2009 – 2013.

6.       The Assembly believes that it is important for national parliaments in Europe to be involved in shaping an action plan for Safer Internet and online services for children throughout Europe. Internet safety for children in Europe must not stop at the borders of the EU.

7.       The elaboration of such an action plan should have a strong parliamentary dimension – both a the levels of the European Parliament as well as national parliaments, because parliaments need to be aware of the issues at stake and be able to decide on them against the background of national circumstances.

8.       Any Internet safety action must respect the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular the rights to privacy (Article 8) and freedom of expression (Article 10).

Signed ¹:

• WALTER, Robert, United Kingdom, EDG
• Baroness HOOPER Gloria, United Kingdom, EDG
• Baroness KNIGHT OF COLLINGTREE, United Kingdom, EDG
• BERDZENISHVILI Levan, Georgia, ALDE
• COŞKUNOĞLU Osman, Turkey, SOC
• DAMANAKI Maria, Greece, SOC
• DUESUND Åse Gunhild Woie, Norway, EPP/CD
• DZEMBRITZKI Detlef, Germany, SOC
• FOMENKO Alexander, Russian Federation, UEL
• GLĂVAN Ştefan, Roumanie, ALDE
• HUSEYNOV Rafael, Azerbaijan, ALDE
• JÓNSDÓTTIR Dagný, Iceland, ALDE
• LEGENDRE, Jacques, France, EPP/CD
• MILO, Paskal, Albania, SOC
• MOONEY, Paschal, Ireland, ALDE
• POLLOZHANI, Azis, ''the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', NR
• PROROKOVIĆ, Dušan, Serbia, EPP/CD
• RUGĀTE, Anta, Latvia, EPP/CD
• SPILIOTIS-SAQUET, Christophe, Monaco, EPP/CD
• SUDARENKOV, Valeriy, Russian Federation, SOC
• WACH, Piotr, Poland, EPP/CD

¹     SOC: Socialist Group
      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
      EDG: European Democratic Group
      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
      NR: not registered in a group