Today a conference on the Exposure of Children to Pornography will take place at the European Parliament, to raise awareness on this issue of concern for parents and families in Europe. On this occasion FAFCE launches a call to the Members of the European Parliament to ask them to improve the EU Legislation on this matter. The call is available online and open to signatures from other NGOs.

The European Parliament is currently discussing the revision of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, in order to adapt it to the new digital environment. It is necessary to update the directive given the new challenges imposed by the constant development of TV, on-demand services and video sharing platforms. However, the protection of minors from harmful contents is not improved. On the contrary, this protection is seriously weakened in the current proposal of the European Parliament.

FAFCE is deeply concerned by the fact that the ban on pornography and gratuitous violence in the current directive is cancelled by the proposal of the European Commission. We call on the European Parliament to reinstate and enlarge the protection of minors’ physical, mental and moral development to on-demand services and video sharing platforms. As FAFCE’s President Antoine Renard underlined last December, “The revision of this Directive can be the occasion to strengthen these standards, recognising the negative effects of harmful contents on children, families and society”.

Hosted by the Members of the European Parliament Anna Zaborska (EPP, Slovakia) and Luigi Morgano (S&D, Italy), respectively Chair and Co-Chair of the Family Intergroup, today’s conference gathers experts on the harmful consequences of pornography and on what family and society can do to protect children from these dangers.

FAFCE’s Secretary General, Maria Hildingsson, will take the floor to present the role of parents and how the EU Legislation can contribute to the protection of minors:  “We call on MEPs to respond to the needs of European families, who want better standards of protection for their children from harmful contents in order to face the new challenges of digitalisation“.

Contact:
Maria Hildingsson
+32 4 70 20 39 18
info@fafce.org