Daphne II programme 2004-2008: combating violence against children, young people and women

Parliament adopted 40 amendments. The Commission is able to accept 19 of them, as they comply fully with its approach and constitute valuable additions, expanding on and clarifying the Commission text. Seven others can also be accepted with some minor rewriting. In particular, the Commission accepts Parliament's figure of EUR 50 million. The initial position of the Commission was EUR 41 million, which corresponds to EUR 49,2 million once the budget is adapted in view of the enlargement of the Union. The amount of EUR 50 million is very close to the current position. The Commission states that it cannot accept 14 amendments that fall within the following categories: - a group of 4 amendments that single out specific categories of beneficiaries/victims, such as girls, young women or street children. This would go against the philosophy of the programme which carefully maintains a neutral approach and an equilibrium throughout the text. The Daphne II proposal was written intentionally with a wide scope in terms of violence and in terms of beneficiaries (children, young people and women). The programme therefore concerns all forms of violence and all victims from any of these three categories and people at risk of becoming a victim of violence; - another group deals with inter-institutional relations and interferes with the current comitology as laid out in Decision 1999/468/CE. A think tank will not be set up to provide guidelines; - a third category includes amendments that substantially enlarge either the scope or the responsibilities of the programme in such a way that, on the one hand, the foreseen human and financial resources will not suffice and, on the other hand, will dilute and disperse the impacts of the programme. In particular, third countries may not take part in the programme, nor will a database be set up under the programme for missing people; - a fourth category includes amendments that are not pertinent with the text or are redundant with others.�