UNITED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

On 17 September, Javier Zarzalejos hosted an event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg to discuss current data on online child sexual abuse, the actions taken by child protection associations and the possibilities for combating this scourge through European legislation.

The breakfast meeting, organised in collaboration with Eurochild and ECLAG, a coalition of more than 60 organisations working to end child sexual abuse, brought together more than 20 MEPs of different nationalities and from different political groups in the European Parliament.

According to data from the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, more than 100 million images and videos of child sexual abuse were reported online in 2023. Of this material, a very high percentage is hosted on European servers.

Hence the urgent need for the European Union to adopt the Regulation against child sexual abuse proposed by the European Commission in May 2022. Zarzalejos, who is the Parliament’s negotiator for the adoption of this legislation, reiterated the urgency for Member States to reach an agreement and for the Council to finally adopt a position on this legislative proposal. The European Parliament, for its part, adopted its position in November last year.

During the meeting, Zarzalejos urged those present to translate their commitment to children’s rights into concrete action, stressing that the real challenge lies in translating this commitment into effective legislation to protect children.