An integrated child protection system requires a national legal framework that creates a safe environment for children by establishing obligations for public and private actors to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child enshrined in the CRC. Enforceable legal protection must be established for overarching children’s rights. In addition, all relevant sector-specific laws must reflect the UN principles and standards applicable to Member States as duty-bearers under the CRC. This applies to laws on education, health and justice, for example.
Several Member States, such as Denmark, Estonia, France, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia, are revising or have recently revised or restructured their child protection systems. This includes their legal frameworks.
France, for instance, adopted a new law reasserting its coordination function in child protection in 2022. Likewise, in Hungary, the amended Fundamental Law of Hungary came into force on 1 January 2023. The law places the individual, human dignity and the protection of children at its centre.
More information on national legal instruments is presented in the maps below. The maps provide visual representations of this information, by Member State.
Figure 1 – Existence of a single legal instrument on child protection at national level
Alternative text: A map shows that 10 EU Member States have a single legal instrument on child protection and 17 do not. The Member States which have a single legal instrument are Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Spain and Sweden.
Source: FRA, 2023
Groups of children in vulnerable situations in particular can face increased challenges in receiving adequate and good-quality services due to the fragmentation and limitations of national legal frameworks.
Ten EU Member States have a primary piece of legislation devoted to child protection at national level (see Table 2). This legislation addresses the identification, referral and assessment of child victims of violence, abuse and neglect. The instruments contain provisions on the treatment of children deprived of parental care who fall under state protection.
Beyond the comprehensive Organic Law, based on the administrative structure, the autonomous regions in Spain have each developed their own legal framework.
In Belgium, there is no consolidated children’s act. Provisions pertaining to children are found across federal and community laws and in the Civil Code and Criminal Code.
Hungary has a specific legal regime regulating the protection of children and the administration of guardianship affairs. Act XXXI of 1997 established this [3] Hungary, Act XXXI of 1997 on the protection of children and the administration of guardianship (1997. évi XXXI. törvény a gyermekek védelméről és a gyámügyi igazgatásról). .
German and Austrian federal laws address the child protection responsibilities of the state and public bodies. It sets forth the general framework and the key principles for drafting state and regional laws.
Table 2 below provides information on the Member State’s legal frameworks, differentiating between Member States with a single legal instrument (column two) and those with several different laws (column three). For those who have a single legal instrument for child protection, no other laws are listed in column three entitled ‘major child protection laws’. This does not preclude Member States from being free to adopt other specifically targeted laws in the area of child protection. The data in column one entitled ‘constitutional provision on child protection’ confirm that most Member States have constitutional provisions on child protection.
Table 2 – National legal instruments on child protection, by EU Member State
EU
Member
State
Existence of a constitutional provision on child protection
Name of single legal instrument on child protection
Major child protection laws
Austria
Yes
Child and Youth Aid Act (Bundes-Kinder- und Jugendhilfegesetz), 2013. An amendment of this act took effect on 29 October 2019.
Belgium
Protection of Young Persons Act of 8 April 1965 (Loi relative à la protection de la jeunesse, à la prise en charge des mineurs ayant commis un fait qualifié et à la réparation du dommage causé par ce fait)
Act of 24 April 2003 reforming adoption (Loi réformant l'adoption)
Act of 18 July 2006 promoting the shared custody of children whose parents have separated (Loi tendant à privilégier l'hébergement égalitaire de l'enfant dont les parents sont séparés et réglementant l'exécution forcée en matière d'hébergement d'enfant)
Act of 30 June 1994 amending the Judicial Code to take account of Art. 12 of the CRC (Gerechtelijk wetboek)
Bulgaria
Child Protection Act (Закон за закрила на детето), 2000
Croatia
Family Act(Obiteljski zakon), 2015
Cyprus
Children Law (Ο περί παιδίων νόμος), 1999. An amendment of this act took effect in 2014.
Czechia
Act on social and legal protection of children (Zákon o sociálně-právní ochraně dětí) (Act No 359/1999 Coll.), 1999. This act is currently under revision (2023–2024).
Denmark
Children’s Act (Act No 772/2019) (Børneloven), 2019. The new Child’s Act (Barnets lov) was adopted on 2 June 2023 and enters into force on 1 January 2024 (Act No 721/2023)
Estonia
Child Protection Act of the Republic of Estonia (Eesti Vabariigi lastekaitse seadus), 2014.
Finland
Child Welfare Act (417/2007) (Lastensuojelulaki/Barnskyddslag (417/2007)), 2007
France
Law No 2007-293 of 5 March 2007 reforming child protection (Loi No 2007-293 du 5 Mars 2007 réformant la protection de l’enfance), 2007
Law No 2022-140 on child protection of 7 February 2022 (Loi No 2022-140 relative à la protection des enfants), 2022
Germany
No
Federal Child Protection Act (Bundeskinderschutzgesetz), 2011
Social Service Code Book VIII (Sozialgesetzbuch VIII), 1990An amendment took effect in 2021.
Greece
Law 2101/1992 (OG A’ 192/2-12-1992), 1992 (Κύρωση της Διεθνούς Σύμβασης για τα δικαιώματα τον παιδιού)
Law 3080/2002 (OG A’ 312/10-12-2002), 2002 (Κύρωση του Προαιρετικού Πρωτοκόλλου της Σύμβασης για τα Δικαιώματα του Παιδιού, σε σχέση με την ανάμιξη παιδιών σε ένοπλη σύρραξη)
Hungary
Act XXXI of 1997 on the protection of children and the administration of guardianship (1997. évi XXXI. törvény a gyermekek védelméről és a gyámügyi igazgatásról), 1997
Ireland
Child Care Act 1991
Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015
Italy
Law No. 55/2015 Protection of children in case of divorce of the parents (Disposizioni in materia di scioglimento o di cessazione degli effetti civili del matrimonio nonchè di comunione tra i coniugi)
Law No. 173/2015 Reform of the discipline of foster care (Modifiche alla legge sul diritto alla continuita' affettiva dei bambini e delle bambine in affido familiar)
Law No. 47/2017 Protection measures for unaccompanied migrant children and voluntary guardianship (Disposizioni in materia di misure di protezione dei minori stranieri non accompagnati)
Latvia
Law on the protection of the rights of the child (Bērnu tiesību aizsardzības likums), 1998. An amendment of this act took effect in 2023.
Lithuania
Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the fundamentals of the protection of the rights of the child (Lietuvos Respublikos vaiko teisių apsaugos pagrindu įstatymas), 1996. An amendment of this act took effect in 2018.
Luxembourg
Act of 10 August 1992 on youth protection(Loi du 10 août 1992 relative à la protection de la jeunesse)
Act of 16 December 2008 on child and family assistance(Loi du 16 décembre 2008 relative à l’aide à l’enfance et à la famille)
Malta
Bill 45 of 2014 entitled Child Protection Act (Out of Home Care)
The Minor Protection (Alternative Care) Act, 2019
Netherlands
2015 Youth Act (Jeugdwet)
Poland
Act on the Commissioner for Children's Rights (Ustawa o Rzeczniku Praw Dziecka)
Family and Guardianship Code (Kodeks rodzinny i opiekuńczy)
Portugal
Law 147/99 of 1 September 1999 for protecting children and young people at risk (Lei n.º 147/99, Lei de Protecção de Crianças e Jovens em Perigo), 1999, amended by Law 26/2018
Romania
Law No 272/2004 (Legea 272/2004 privind protecţia şi promovarea drepturilor copilului), 2004, republished in 2014
Slovakia
Law No 305/2005 on socio-legal protection of children and social guardianship and on amendments to certain acts (Zákon č. 305/2005 Z. z. o sociálnoprávnej ochrane a sociálnej kuratele a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov). An amendment of this act took effect in 2022.
Slovenia
Family Code(Družinski zakonik), 2017
Spain
Organic Law on the legal protection of children (Ley Orgánica) given by Organic Law 8/2015, of 22 July, and Law 26/2015, of 28 July
Sweden
Care of Young Persons Act (1990:52) (Lagen med särskilda bestämmelser om vård av unga (1990: 52)). An amendment of this act took effect in 2022.
Totals (Member States)
23
10
17
Source: Franet, 2023
A comprehensive national strategy or national action plan for children is a key component of an integrated child protection system. A comprehensive national policy covers sector-specific national action plans and policies. It sets out specific goals, targeted implementation measures and the allocation of financial and human resources.
Figure 2 – Existence of specific national policy framework (action plan or strategy) on child protection and/or children’s rights
Alternative text: A map shows that 19 EU Member States have a comprehensive national policy relating to child protection and 8 do not. The status for each Member State can be found in the following “Key findings” section.
Nineteen Member States have a comprehensive national policy relating to child protection (Table 3). This is the case in Belgium, Czechia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Finland and Sweden.
Some Member States have action plans only at local/regional level. Denmark, for example, still lacks a national policy. Municipal authorities with child protection responsibilities are charged with developing policies locally. However, Denmark has proposed a new Child’s Act aiming to strengthen the rights of the child.
Local, regional and national policies co-exist in some Member States with decentralised systems, such as the Netherlands and Finland.
Policies are developed at regional community level in some federal Member States, such as Belgium and Germany. The Austrian federal government has developed a national policy focused on youth.
Other Member States such as Bulgaria and Estonia are developing drafts of new national plans. These should enter into force in the coming years.
Only half of the Member States have taken measures to include child poverty in their strategic policy documents. Fourteen Member States have key actions dedicated to children in need: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and Portugal. Nine of them – Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg and Malta – are obliged to allocate 5 % of their European Social Fund Plus funds to lifting children out of poverty.
Only seven Member States have developed a comprehensive digital strategy or programme: Cyprus, Croatia, France, Hungary, Sweden, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Table 3 – National strategic policy frameworks on child protection, by EU Member State
EU Member State
National strategic policy framework on child protection and/or children’s rights
Youth strategy (Österreichische Jugendstrategie), 2020
Flemish youth and children’s rights policy plan 2020–2024 (Vlaams Jeugd- en Kinderrechtenbeleidsplan 2020–2024)
Walloon children’s rights action plan 2020–2024 (Plan d’actions relatif aux droits l’enfant 2020–2024)
Youth strategy plan 2023–2027 (Jugendstrategieplan 2023–2027)
None
National plan for the rights of children in the Republic of Croatia for the period 2022–2026 (Nacionalni plan za prava djece u Republici Hrvatskoj za razdoblje od 2022. do 2026. Godine)
National strategy for the protection of children 2021–2029 (Národní strategie ochrany práv dětí a Akční plán k naplnění Národní strategie 2021–2029)
National child strategy (kansallinen lapsistrategia / den nationella barnstrategin), 2022 CRC
National child protection and prevention strategy (Stratégie nationale de prévention et de protection de l’enfance), 2020-2022.
National action plan for the rights of the child (2021–23) (Εθνικό Σχέδιο Δράσης για τα Δικαιώματα του Παιδιού (2021–2023))
Corporate plan 2021–2023 (Plean Corparáideach 2021–2023)
https://famiglia.governo.it/media/2636/v-piano-nazionale-infanzia-e-adolescenza-gennaio-2022.pdf 5th National Plan of Action and Interventions for the Protection of the Rights and Development of Persons of Childhood Age 2022-2023 (5° Piano Nazionale di Azione e di Interventi per la Tutela dei Diritti e lo Sviluppo dei Soggetti in Età Evolutiva 2022–2023. Educazione, Equità, Empowerment)
Basic principles on the policy development of children, youth and family for the years 2022–2027 (Bērnu, jaunatnes un ģimenes attīstības pamatnostādnes 2022. - 2027. Gadam)
Lithuanian progress strategy ‘Lithuania 2030’ (Lietuvos pažangos strategija ‘Lietuva 2030’), 2012
https://gouvernement.lu/dam-assets/documents/actualites/2022/05-mai/19-meisch-droits-enfants/publication-zesumme-fir-drechter-vum-kand.pdfTogether for the right of the child: National Strategy National Action Plan 2022 - 2026 (Droit de l’enfant: Zesumme fir d’Rechter vum Kand – Stratégie nationale Plan d’action national 2022–2026)
National children’s policy, 2017
Violence does not belong anywhere: Approach to domestic violence and child abuse (Geweld hoort nergens thuis. Aanpak huiselijk geweld), 2018
Child and family protection future scenario (Toekomstscenario kind-en gezinsbescherming), 2021
National strategy for the rights of the child 2021–2024 (Estratégia Nacional para os Direitos da Criança para o período 2021–2024)
National strategy on the protection and promotion of children’s rights 2014–2020.
A new strategy for 2022–2027 has been under debate since 6 May 2022. The proposed strategy prioritises activities targeting child poverty, access to education and health services. (Proposed national strategy for the protection and promotion of children’s rights ‘Protected children, safe Romania’ 2022–2027 (Strategia Naţională Pentru Protecția și Promovarea Drepturilor Copilului ‘Copii Protejați, România Sigură’ 2022–2027)
Programme for children 2020–2025 (Program za otroke 2020–2025)
National strategy for preventing and fighting poverty and social exclusion 2019–2023 (Estrategia Nacional De Prevención Y Lucha Contra La Pobreza Y La Exclusión Social)
An Upbringing Free from Violence – A national strategy to prevent and combat violence against children (En uppväxt fri från våld – En nationell strategi för att förebygga och bekämpa våld mot barn), 2023
Source: Franet, 2023.
