Children involved in criminal, administrative and civil legal proceedings

Parliamentary questions.13 May 2013
Question for written answer to the Commission Rule 117. By Roberta Angelilli (PPE)
Children involved in criminal, administrative and civil legal proceedings.
The protection of children is a topic that is felt to be especially important in the European Union, with particular reference to family disputes, in which children are the most vulnerable individuals.
In view of the Commission’s answer to Question E-000713/2013, can the Commission say whether the study currently being carried out on children’s involvement in criminal, administrative and civil judicial proceedings will also deal with their involvement in family cases, taking into account the disparities between national systems?

Since in separation or divorce cases children are sometimes victims of the conflict between the two parents and since, in addition, Art. 24 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states that ‘[e]very child shall have the right to maintain on a regular basis a personal relationship and direct contact with both his or her parents, unless that is contrary to his or her interests’, can the Commission clarify whether the study will look at cases of children involved in separation or divorce proceedings, in order to assess:

1.	the provisions relating to time spent by children with their parents (such as whether it is provided that children should spend the same amount of time with both parents, including the frequency of overnight stays);
2.	the provisions on whether the children reside with one or both parents;
3.	the provisions on the financial support of the children by both parents?

Does it intend, in the future, to analyse the different forms of child custody in the national legal systems and to collect data and statistics on the issue as a whole?