EU Council Issues Framework Decision on Combating the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography

On December 22, 2003, the Council of the European Union issued a Framework Decision on combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. The preamble explains that the EU acted pursuant to the Treaty on European Union, especially Article 29, Article 31(1)(e) and Article 34(2)(b). The preamble explains that action is due to the need to address the divergence of legal approaches in the EU Members and contribute to the development of efficient judicial and law enforcement cooperation against sexual exploitation of children and child pornography to implement Council Joint Action 97/154/JHA of February 24, 1997 concerning action to combat trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation of children and Council Decision 2000/375/JHA of May 29, 2000 to combat child pornography on the Internet. The European Parliament?s Resolution of March 30, 2000 on the Commission Communication on the implementation of measures to combat child sex tourism reiterates that child sex tourism is a criminal act closely connected to those of sexual exploitation of children and of child pornography, and requested the Commission to submit to the Council a proposal for a framework Decision establishing minimum rules concerning the constituent elements of these criminal acts. Another goal of the Framework Decision is to complement the important work by international organizations...[more]