Audiovisual and information industries, competitiveness: protection of minors and human dignity and right of reply

 The committee adopted the report by Marielle DE SARNEZ (ALDE, FR) amending the proposal under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure. MEPs felt that action was needed from politicians, the industry itself and parents. They put forward a number of practical measures aimed at reinforcing the recommendations contained in the proposal:

- continuing education of teachers, in cooperation with child protection associations, on how to use the Internet in the context of school education and how to teach  children methods for safe Internet use;

- introduction of specific Internet training aimed at children from an early age, including sessions open to parents;

- national information campaigns on the dangers of the Internet and the risk of criminal penalties. Specific campaigns could be aimed at target groups such as schools, parents' associations, etc.;

- distribution of information packs, including information on the use of hotlines for reporting harmful or illegal sites;

- introduction of a European toll-free number providing information on existing filter methods and making it easier to lodge complaints with the relevant authorities or report harmful sites. This is intended to offset the absence in some Member States of such hotlines;

- adoption of a quality label for providers;

- offering access services intended specifically for children and equipped with an automatic filter system;

 - the introduction of a generic top level domain name reserved for permanently monitored sites (.kid for example);

- each MemberState should submit a report to the Commission on the measures taken to implement the recommendation two years after its adoption;

- on the basis of these reports, the Commission should report to Parliament by 31 December 2008 on the implementation and effectiveness of the measures laid down in the recommendation.