Children and the European Union: Rights, Welfare and Accountability

自20世纪90年代以来，儿童权利问题在欧盟法律的和政策议程上占据了越来越重要的地位。这在一定程度上是由一系列重要的司法决定引发的，这些决定承认欧盟法律既可以影响社会和公民权利，也可以以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，还对欧盟的宪法结构进行了一些重要的修正，逐步扩大了这些机构颁布更直接、以儿童为重点的措施的权限。针对这些事态发展，欧洲联盟委员会于2006年7月发布了一份来文，在欧盟历史上第一次提出了一项协调一致的行动计划，以在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促进儿童权利。然而，虽然欧盟一级儿童权利的发展值得欢迎，但也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）。这些关切问题质疑欧盟一级为确保这些措施超越象征意义并有可能对儿童生活产生积极影响而建立的程序和结构。虽然这些问题探索了新的领域，但这项研究与欧盟围绕能力、公民身份、身份和参与式民主的更广泛的辩论相结合，并与正在进行的关于如何在跨越地理和管辖边界的情况下最好地保护儿童和促进儿童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，但将整合和补充大量的经验和理论研究，我已经在欧洲联盟的儿童和家庭的权利和经验（见简历）。借鉴一系列学科的观点（包括政治，国际人权，儿童社会学，社会政策和人文地理），它将提供第一次详细分析儿童权利和批评的判例法和立法的广泛机构已经出现在一系列实质性领域。这本书还将为围绕欧盟能力、公民身份、治理和参与的更广泛辩论增添一个独特的儿童权利视角。这本书将对上述一系列学科领域的学者、本科生和研究生具有价值，为研究欧盟法律和儿童权利提供一个新的视角。此外，对与欧盟家庭法有关的大量判例法的详细评论将对国际家庭法从业者特别有意义;许多从业者不熟悉欧盟的立法程序和司法制度，但认识到有必要熟悉这一点后，欧盟法律规范跨国离婚和父母责任，以取代前，现有的国际私法文书。这本书也将成为在国际和欧洲儿童权利领域开展活动的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.