Right to a secure childhood needs to be in EU law

As befits a country with a rock solid commitment to the value of human life, we in Malta have a large and regularly enforced body of law to protect our children from violence, cruelty, exploitation and sexual abuse. Indeed, in Malta we have legislation that protects unborn children.

Our belief in the right of children to enjoy childhood safe from harm and exploitation is something I want to see formalised in EU law. As a member of the European Parliament I intend to give significant time and energy to righting what I see as a constitutional wrong. Indeed, I will go further and seek to ensure that the EU's lawmakers are obliged to consider the social impact of all legislation on children.

The fact is that current EU legislation gives greater protection to the rights of animals than those of children and there is no legal obligation on EU legislators to consider children when framing laws that have a direct impact on their lives. This must change.

The protection of the child is particularly relevant in areas like employment law, internet and broadcast technologies and the safety of food and toys. These are issues of an increasingly international nature as, of course, are the terrible crimes of trafficking in children for sexual or commercial exploitation. And there are many tales of heartbreak and child stress in cases where families break up and children live in a different country from one of the parents. An EU-wide approach to issues of that nature can help guide domestic lawmakers and courts towards decisions that are right for the children involved.

Currently, the EU has no obligation to respect the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which it is a signatory.

My central point is that children are a special category of people, whose needs are different from those of adults and who do not have the ability to protect themselves. We need to change the EU status of children from the present position, which too often considers them "victims" or "dependents" or "barriers to work".

Because the EU has been at the centre of creating a Union of peace and prosperity in Europe, the lives of almost five generations of children have been made better. For the vast majority of people in the EU their lives as children have been ones of abundant food, heat and clothing, at least basic education, good health and plenty of time to learn and to enjoy childhood.

Now is the time for the EU to step up a gear. I will fight for a new article to be inserted into all EU treaties so that the Union can bring its authority to bear on promoting and protecting the needs of children. We in Malta have the moral authority to be at the forefront of creating a better life for children across the EU and what the EU does can influence the whole world. We are not alone in seeking a better world for our children and I would seek to draw on the support of EU Parliament members of all political persuasions in pursuit of such a fundamentally important goal.

Dr Drake is a Nationalist Party candidate for the European Parliament elections.

joannadrake@europe.com

www.joannadrake.com