EU funding news from Welcomeurope

European funds Related EU Grant Loans Programme(s):  Grants for cooperation and exchanges in the field of youth and informal education and training.

Create a video, photo or comic strip to reduce smoking across Europe and to encourage a life without tobacco.

The materials produced will support the positive aspect of a life without tobacco. Young people´s empowerment and involvement in issues affecting their health and well-being should be underlined. There are four categories: best video, best “candid camera”, best photo, best comic strip.

Deadline: 30 June 2008.

This competition was launched by the European Commission’s Health & Consumer Protection Directorate (DG SANCO) in partnership with the European Youth Forum (YFJ) to involve young Europeans (aged 15 to 35) on matters affecting their health and well-being.

For the fourth consecutive year, the European Commission is supporting on 25 May the International Missing Children’s Day, organised by the European Federation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children.

The main purpose of this day is to encourage European citizens and the whole world not to forget all the children that are missing. Vice-President Barrot took part today in the presentation of the first Annual Report of Missing Children Europe, a European federation bringing together 21 NGOs active in 15 Member States in the fight against the disappearance and sexual abuse of children.

Also today, the Commission published the results of the first Eurobarometer survey focusing on young people aged 15 to 18. The survey reveals that the main concerns of young European citizens are “violence” against children and “the fight against sexual exploitation”. Mr Barrot confirmed that both of these are priorities for the European Commission.

Since the launch of the Communication “Towards an EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child” on 4 July 2006, the European Commission has worked ceaselessly in this area. The Communication is the practical expression of genuine political commitment and proposes the introduction of a comprehensive European strategy for the effective promotion and protection of the rights of the child within the framework of the European Union’s internal and external policies, and for supporting Member States’ efforts in this connection.

Among these priorities, the Commission is giving particular attention to rapid implementation of a European missing children helpline and to the development of a missing children alert system in each Member State.

The European Commission has reserved the number 116 000 as the European missing children helpline. To date, only six Member States have made any progress in this area: Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands and Portugal.

Another priority for the Commission is to put in place national missing children alert systems for cases of abduction where the child is in real danger and to develop links between national systems in cross-border cases. Progress is also slow in this area. It is essential that real advances be made in the coming months.
To show solidarity with all parents and missing children, Mr Barrot asked all European Commission staff to express their support for families affected by a disappearance by wearing a “forget-me-not” flower.