The EU strengthens its fight against child pornography, cyber-bullying and online abuse. The European Parliament actually passed, in Strasbourg today, a long-term programme agreed with the EU Council "to protect children who use the Internet and other communication technology, such as mobile phones". The "Safer internet" programme, which will be working from January 1st 2009 and will be funded by 55 million euros for five years, will first of all strengthen the postal police’s prevention and investigation work, through across-the-border cooperation agreements. The second goal is to work on education and information by raising the adults’ awareness (families, schools, associations) of the risks associated with the new technology, "the great potentials of which are acknowledged as well as the dangers they induce". Other measures will be taken "for a responsible use of such technology". However they said in Strasbourg this measure will have to rely on the member states’ true will to persecute such crimes, through strict laws and adequate means to be given to the magistrate’s offices and the police. (continued)
