The European Commission invites interested parties, including foundations, who deal with the protection and promotion of children's rights at all levels to provide their input on EU children's rights. Contributions received will feed into the preparation of the EU strategy on the rights of the child for the period 2011-2014, which will replace the current strategy adopted in 2006.

The consultation looks at a number of specific areas – identified by people working in the field at the Forum for the Rights of the Child – where children might face problems such as:

• Child-friendly justice and children's participation in the justice system (as witnesses, for example);
• Justice policies safeguarding children's rights, such as in the framework of family mediation;
• Protecting vulnerable groups of children (victims of violence, sexual exploitation or trafficking, or children living in poverty);
• Child participation in the development of policies affecting children.

The Commission will publish a report summarising all the contributions received through this consultation.

In parallel with this public consultation, the Commission is conducting a study especially targeted at getting feedback from children themselves (such as through focus groups), which will be published in October.

The public consultation is open until 20 August 2010.

Further information is available at:  http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/news/consulting_public/news_consulting_public_en.htm

For further information, please check the European Commission’s Justice and Home Affairs Children's Rights page at http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/children/fsj_children_intro_en.htm

EFC members interested in obtaining further information are invited to contact EFC's secretariat at eu@efc.be