This section presents the main features of integrated child protection systems and recent developments in the EU.

The scopes of national child protection systems differ. The systems are designed based on needs, resources allocated and cultural, social and historical factors. However, child protection systems share some common features and face common challenges. The Box below presents their key components.

EU Member States are obliged to protect children from all forms of violence. They should, therefore, adopt the appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to effectively protect children. This obligation derives from international and European human rights legal documents, above all the CRC (Articles 3 and 19; see Box below) and the Charter (Article 24; see following Box).

The EU strategy on the rights of the child, adopted in 2021, aims to support children to develop their potential as engaged and responsible citizens. While implementing this strategy, EU legislation has evolved both to reflect the CRC’s and the Charter’s provisions and language on the rights of the child and to reiterate the best interests of the child (see UN CRC General Comment No. 14 (2013)). The best interests of the child are a right, a principle and a rule of procedure, according to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. In addition, the EU strategy on victims’ rights (2020–2025) demonstrates the EU’s commitment to better protecting children through a specific legal framework.

In its Conclusions on the EU strategy on the rights of the child (2022), the Council of the European Union called on the Member States to strengthen cooperation and coordination between all relevant authorities and stakeholders. The Council called on them to increase their:

‘efforts to prevent and combat all forms of violence against children, in particular by:

1. Promoting cooperation among support services, and supporting a holistic response to violence,
2. Developing integrated and targeted specialist support services for child victims, in addition to or as part of general victim support services and investing in preventing secondary victimisation,
3. Strengthening the development, evaluation and promotion of integrated child protection systems where all relevant services cooperate according to a coordinated and multidisciplinary approach, in the best interests of the child, for example the Children’s Houses (Barnahus) or any other equivalent children’s rights […] friendly model,
4. Banning corporal punishment in all settings, and strengthening integrated support services for children and families.’

It also highlighted the need to work together to improve and address child protection needs in emergency situations and to develop effective and viable alternatives to the detention of children during migration. It called on Member States to strengthen their justice systems, in particular by providing the necessary support services to children during and after proceedings, for as long as the children need them. There is a need to promote interdisciplinary service cooperation to support the child in the best way before, during and after proceedings, the conclusions also note. The Council called for the provision of protection from existing and emerging risks in the digital environment by focusing on, for example, digital literacy, privacy and online safety.

The EU strategy on combatting trafficking in human beings (2021–2025) calls on Member States to strengthen child protection systems. ‘[T]he threat of being trafficked remains high for any vulnerable person’, it underlines.

The theme of the 14th European Forum on the Rights of the Child (2022) was ‘bringing children to the centre: empowering, protecting and including children’. It focused on monitoring and reporting on progress made under the EU strategy, while exchanging information on new developments and initiatives.

The European care strategy also addresses the three EU social headline targets for employment, skills and the reduction of poverty. The social headline targets also affect children, as they include the revised Barcelona targets for childhood education and care. The revision of the Barcelona targets recommendation is part of the 2020–2025 gender equality strategy. It builds on other EU initiatives such as the Council recommendation on early childhood education and care, the EU strategy on the rights of the child and the Council recommendation on the European child guarantee.

The EU’s legal and policy provisions promote the entire UN framework for protecting children and promoting children’s rights. The CRC (1989) is the key document providing the fundamental basis of protection of the rights of the child. Accompanying general comments provide guidance on the application of concrete rights.

For example, general comment No. 5 (2003) provides guidance on the measures required to effectively implement the convention. General comment No. 13 (2011), on the right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence, emphasises the importance of interpreting children’s rights broadly and inclusively to ensure comprehensive protection and support. Interpreting general comment No. 13 is particularly important in the digital age.

General comment No. 25 (2021) on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment provides guidance on some legislative, policy and other measures. It aims to ensure compliance with obligations under the CRC and the optional protocols in light of the opportunities, risks and challenges of promoting, respecting, protecting and fulfilling all children’s rights in the digital environment.

An integrated child protection system that emphasises prevention must adopt a children’s rights approach, not a welfare approach. This requires holistic CRC implementation. General comment No. 25 builds on the foundation of the CRC, recognising the evolving nature of children’s rights in the digital environment. It addresses the prevention of digital violence and emphasises the need to protect children from harm online.

Together, these general comments highlight the commitment of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to safeguarding children’s rights not only in traditional settings but also in the ever-expanding digital landscape, where new challenges and opportunities continually emerge.

The Council of Europe issued guidelines on integrated national strategies for the protection of children from violence in 2009. The guidelines are in line with the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Table 1 provides an overview of the primary institutions responsible for child protection in the EU Member States. The data show whether there is a primary institution for child protection or the system is more diversified. A diverse system includes several national authorities sharing responsibilities in areas related to child protection. Examples include social protection, education and judicial rights.

Table 1 – Primary institutions responsible for child protection, by EU Member State

NB: n/a = not applicable.

Source: FRA, 2023.