Rehn on UNCRC - Question RP consistent approach

Meeting Commissioner Rehn with DG Enlargement

Brussels, 29 November 2004

Question Roelie Post

The Commission monitored children’s rights in Romania under the Copenhagen criteria. It found that children’s rights were not sufficiently protected. Following this the Romanian government addressed this issue.

However, this issue exists also in other countries in the region. It may even increase there, after Romania’s successful approach.

What is the Commissioner’s opinion on children’s rights in a further enlarged Europe.

Reply Commissioner Rehn

Thanks to your excellent briefings I am perfectly aware of the successful approach in Romania. It was especially intercountry adoptions that were a problem. There were attempts, also from Member States, to liberalise – if I may use that word – this regime. We have done right that we did not do that. There was the risk to undo achieved results if we would have done so.

In the future we should base our work on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, also in future candidate countries, in current candidate countries and in the Neighbour policy. You are right, there is a need to solve it now in other countries. A consistent approach is needed for the region.