Changes from plenary report to adopted text

Article 23 – paragraph 3 – point b: deleted

Article 23 – paragraph 3 – point c: deleted

Article 24 – paragraph 1 – introductory part: Member States shall establish or appoint national authorities or equivalent entities to carry out the following activities:

Article 24 – paragraph 2: In carrying out the activities listed in paragraph 1, Member States shall be supported by the EU Centre, once established.

Article 25 – paragraph 1: Member States shall put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure effective coordination and cooperation to develop and implement measures to combat child sexual abuse and exploitation, both online and offline, at the national level, of relevant authorities, agencies and bodies, including local and regional authorities, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, public prosecutors, support service providers as well as providers of information society services, non-governmental organisations, including those operating hotlines and helplines, social services, including child protection or welfare authorities, education and healthcare providers, social partners, without prejudice to their autonomy, and other relevant organisations and entities. These mechanisms shall also ensure effective coordination and cooperation among Member States, with the EU Centre and the Commission and other Union agencies and bodies.

Article 25 a (new): Article 25a / International Cooperation / Without prejudice to the rules on cross-border cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, Member States’ competent authorities, Europol, Eurojust and the EU Centre shall, within their respective competences and in the limits of their respective remit, cooperate with competent authorities of third countries in the fight against the criminal offences referred to in Articles 3 to 8b.

Article 26: deleted / (deleted) / (deleted) / (deleted) / (deleted)

Article 27 – paragraph 1: 1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that persons who fear that they might commit any of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 9 have easy and anonymous access to dedicated and effective intervention programmes or measures designed to evaluate and prevent the risk of such offences being committed as well as to accessible, easy-to-use, safe and readily available channels such as helplines and online chats, operated by appropriately trained personnel. / Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that resources and support groups are available for persons who fear that their family member might commit any of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 9.

Article 27 – paragraph 2: 2. Member States shall ensure that the programmes or measures referred to in paragraph 1 are accessible without undue restrictions in line with national standards concerning healthcare, and that programmes are properly and continuously resourced.

Article 28 – paragraph 1: 1. To discourage and reduce the demand that fosters all forms of sexual exploitation of children, Member States shall take appropriate measures, such as education and training, information and awareness raising campaigns on the lifelong consequences of child sexual abuse and exploitation, its illegal nature, and the possibility for persons who fear that they might commit related offences to have access to dedicated and effective intervention programmes or measures. Member States shall develop a communication strategy, national action plans, and promote dialogue and cooperation with civil society organisations, hotlines, helplines, public authorities and relevant informations society services.

Article 28 – paragraph 1 a (new): 1 a. The measures referred to in paragraph 1 shall also aim to increase knowledge of the fact that non-consensual sex is a criminal offence and to promote the understanding that consent must be given voluntarily as a result of a person’s free will, mutual respect, and the right to sexual integrity and bodily autonomy. Such measures shall be adapted to the evolving capacity of the persons to whom they are addressed.

Article 28 – paragraph 2: 2. Member States shall take appropriate action, including through the Internet, such as information and awareness-raising campaigns, research, education and training programmes or material, including on digital literacy, on age-appropriate sexual education focusing on the notion of consent, on safe online and offline practices, as well as on the proper use of the internet and new technologies, where appropriate in cooperation with relevant civil society organisations and other stakeholders, aimed at raising awareness and reducing the risk of children, becoming victims of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation.

Article 28 – paragraph 3: 3. Member States shall ensure regular and specialised training , including in child friendly justice is promoted or offered to professionals, judges and officials likely to come into contact with child victims of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation, including, but not limited to, child protection professionals, legal professionals, teachers staff in child care, healthcare professionals, educators, volunteers and coaches, family court judges and front-line police officers, aimed at enabling them to detect early signs of abuse or potential abuse or sexual exploitation, identify and deal with child victims and potential child victims of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation.

Article 28 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1: Member States shall take appropriate measures to ensure the prevention of child sexual abuse in community settings, including schools, hospitals, social care services, foster care, day care, sports clubs or religious communities by equipping children and adults, including parents and educators, with adequate skills for detecting potential malicious behaviour. / The measure shall include:

Article 28 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point a: (a) dedicated training and awareness raising activities for staff, consultants and volunteers working in close contact with children, including on how to prevent, identify and provide an age-appropriate, gender-sensitive and trauma-informed response to child sexual abuse and exploitation;

Article 28 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point b: (b) mandatory child safeguarding policies, dedicated guidelines, internal protocols and standards identifying good practices, such as the establishment of mechanisms of supervision and accountability for staff working in close contact with children in such settings;

Article 28 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point c: (c) the creation of safe and accessible spaces, run by dedicated and appropriately trained personnel, where children, parents, carers and members of the community can report inappropriate behaviour.

Article 28 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point c a (new): (c a) the creation of helplines, online chats or other readily available channels run by appropriately trained personnel, where children can obtain information and advice regarding the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 8b.

Article 28 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 3: Prevention measures shall devote particular attention to the need to protect children who are particularly vulnerable, including children with mental, intellectual, sensory or physical disabilities.

Article 28 – paragraph 5 – introductory part: 5. For the purpose of this Directive, Member States shall be proactively supported by the EU Centre, once established by:

Article 28 – paragraph 5 – point c: (c) facilitating the generation and exchange of knowledge, guidelines for front-line professionals, best practices and expertise among Member States, Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and third countries by keeping a public database of prevention measures and programmes implemented in each Member State as well as in third countries.

Article 28 – paragraph 5 – point c a (new): (c a) supporting the development of national awareness-raising and prevention campaigns, educational and intervention programmes, tools and materials.

Article 28 – paragraph 5 a (new): 5 a. Member States shall ensure that the actions listed in paragraph 5 are evidence-based and that those actions take into account the evolving manifestations of the offences listed in the Directive, including online.

Article 29 – paragraph 5 – point b: (b) agree to their participation in the programmes or measures with full knowledge of the facts;

Article 30 – paragraph 2: 2. Member States may take measures to promptly block access to web pages containing or disseminating child sexual abuse material towards the Internet users within their territory. These measures must be set by transparent procedures and provide adequate safeguards, in particular to ensure that the restriction is limited to what is necessary and proportionate, and that users are informed of the reason for the restriction. Those safeguards shall also include the possibility of judicial redress.

Article 31 – paragraph 1: 1. Member States shall have a system in place for recording, production and provision of anonymised statistical data on the reporting, investigative and judicial stages in relation to the criminal offences referred to in Articles 3 to 9 in order to monitor the effectiveness of their measures to combat the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children.

Article 31 – paragraph 2 – introductory part: 2. The statistics shall include the following data disaggregated by sex, gender, age of the victim and of the offender, relationship between the victim and the offender and type of offence:

Article 31 – paragraph 2 – point b: (b) the annual number of offences reported, of persons prosecuted for and convicted of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 9, obtained from national administrative sources;