Combating online child sexual abuse is a key part of an EU directive to tackle the broader problem of child sexual abuse.

– (RO) I voted in favour of this report because I agree that Member States need to ‘criminalise all types of sexual abuse of children’, including online grooming.

I would also like to point out that Member States need to finance the development and expansion of programmes which will help parents to protect their children from Internet grooming.

Child protection is also needed in respect of children’s access to the web, where they are exposed to all kinds of content, including possible abuse by paedophiles, and to Internet grooming.

With regard to the prevention of violence, including abuse and sexual exploitation perpetrated against children, young people and women and the protection of victims and groups at risk, the European Union can bring added value to the actions predominantly to be undertaken by Member States by the following means: the dissemination and exchange of information, experience and good practices; the promotion of an innovative approach; the joint establishment of priorities; the development of networking as appropriate; the selection of Community-wide projects including projects supporting free-phone child helplines and hotlines for mi ...[+++]ssing and sexually exploited children; the motivation and mobilisation of all parties concerned; and Europe-wide awareness-raising campaigns against violence.

(1) The Action Plan of the Council and the Commission on how best to implement the provisions of the Treaty of Amsterdam on an area of freedom, security and justice(3), the conclusions of the Tampere European Council and the Resolution of the European Parliament of 11 April 2000 include or call for legislative action against sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, including common definitions, charges and penalties.