Children and the European Union: Rights, Welfare and Accountability

研究背景自20世纪90年代以来，儿童权利问题在欧盟法律和政策议程上占据了越来越重要的位置。这在一定程度上是由一系列重要的司法裁决引发的，这些裁决承认欧盟法律的潜力，不仅影响到社会和公民权利，而且还以一种补充国际人权法和成员国宪法传统的方式发展社会和公民权利。与此同时，欧盟的宪法结构也进行了一些重要的修订，逐渐扩大了机构的权限，以制定更直接、更关注儿童的措施。为了应对这些事态发展，欧盟委员会于2006年7月发布了一份通讯，在欧盟历史上首次制定了一项协调一致的行动计划，以促进从教育和民主参与到人口贩运、互联网安全和庇护程序等一系列领域的儿童权利。然而，虽然欧盟层面的儿童权利发展受到欢迎，但它提出了一些问题和关切，涉及欧盟干预儿童权利的适当性（法律上和意识形态上）。这些问题质疑欧盟层面的程序和结构，以确保这些措施超越象征性，并有可能对儿童的生活产生积极影响。虽然这些问题探索了新的领域，但该研究涉及更广泛的欧盟关于能力、公民身份、身份和参与式民主的辩论，并与正在进行的关于如何最好地保护儿童和促进他们在跨地理和司法边界的情况下的权利的国际讨论相吻合。潜在的应用和好处拟议的工作主要是理论，但将整合和补充我已经开展的关于欧盟儿童和家庭的权利和经验的大量实证和理论研究（见简历）。利用一系列学科观点（包括政治学、国际人权、儿童社会学、社会政策和人文地理学），它将首次提供对儿童权利的详细分析，并批评在一系列实质性领域出现的大量判例法和立法。这本书还将为围绕欧盟能力、公民身份、治理和参与的广泛辩论增添独特的儿童权利视角。这本书将是有价值的学者和本科生和研究生在一系列学科领域上述确定，提供了一个新的视角，一方面欧盟法律的研究和儿童权利的另一方面。此外，对与欧盟家庭法有关的重要判例法的详细批评将使国际家庭法从业者特别感兴趣；许多从业人员不熟悉欧盟的立法程序和司法制度，但在引入欧盟法律规范跨国离婚和父母责任以取代原有的国际私法文书之后，他们意识到有必要熟悉这一点。这本书也将成为在国际和欧洲儿童权利领域工作的竞选慈善机构的有用资源。

Research ContextSince the 1990s, children's rights issues have occupied an increasingly important place on the EU legal and policy agenda. This has been triggered in part by a series of important judicial decisions acknowledging the potential of EU law to both impact upon, but also to develop social and civil rights in a way that complements international human rights law and the constitutional traditions of the Member States. This has been accompanied also by some important amendments to the constitutional fabric of the EU that have gradually extended the institutions' competence to enact more direct, child-focussed measures. In response to these developments, the European Commission issued a Communication in July 2006 setting out, for the first time in the history of the EU, a coherent action plan for advancing children's rights across a range of areas ranging from education and democratic participation, to human trafficking, internet safety and asylum processes. However, while the development of children's rights at EU level is to be welcomed, it raises a number of questions and concerns, relating to the appropriateness (both legally and ideologically) of EU intervention in children's rights. These concerns question the processes and structures in place at EU level to ensure that such measures go beyond the tokenistic and have the potential to impact positively on children's lives. While such questions explore new ground, the research engages with broader EU debates around competence, citizenship, identity and participatory democracy, and dovetail with ongoing international discussion about how best to protect children and promote their rights in situations that straddle geographical and jurisdictional boundaries. Potential Applications and BenefitsThe proposed work is primarily doctrinal but will integrate and compliment the substantial amount of empirical and theoretical research I have already carried out on the rights and experiences of children and families in the European Union (see CV). Drawing on a range of disciplinary perspectives (including politics, international human rights, the sociology of childhood, social policy and human geography) it will provide the first detailed analysis of children's rights and critique the extensive body of case law and legislation to have emerged across a range of substantive areas. The book will also add a unique children's rights perspective to broader debates around EU competence, citizenship, governance and participation.The book will be of value to academics and undergraduate and postgraduate students across a range of subject areas identified above, offering a new perspective to the study of EU law on the one hand and children's rights on the other. Moreover, the detailed critique of the significant body of case law relating to EU family law will be of particular interest to international family law practitioners; many practitioners are unfamiliar with the EU legislative process and judicial system and yet appreciate the need to familiarise themselves with this following the introduction of EU law regulating cross-national divorce and parental responsibility to replace pre-existing private international law instruments. The book will also be a useful resource for campaigning charities working in the area of international and European children's rights.