Children's Rights in the EU Charter

The fundamental rights of children as guaranteed by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is one of the topics that cuts across legal disciplines giving rise to a broad range of issues. This course aims at providing an overview of these problems.

The course takes learners across the general presentation of the varieties of contexts where children’s rights emerge. In doing so, it builds on the guiding principle of the best interest of the child both in the EU and international context. Learners will subsequently explore how rights of the child are shaped in the context of provisions ruling EU citizens and third country citizens in the context of asylum in migration. Finally, children’s rights will be presented within the area of the judicial cooperation in civil matters.

This is the third of five e-learning courses offered within the ambit of the e-NACT project, this time delivered by the University of Florence.

Week 1: Children Protection in the EU and the Role of the Charter: An Introduction
During the first week of the course the general framework of children’s rights protection will be presented. Spotlight will be placed on children’s rights as guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and by public international law. Here the general principle of the best interests of the child is introduced and explained.

Week 2: Children Protection in the Context of EU Citizenship, Free Movement Law and Family Reunification
The second week of the course is dedicated to freedom of movement of persons within the European Union and, in particular, to the protection afforded to children and their parents on the basis of the citizenship law.

Week 3: Child Protection in the Context of Migration and Asylum Law
To contrast the EU citizenship experience, in Week 3 learners will explore the migration and asylum context and the manner in which the EU law protects children seeking entry and stay in the European Union.

Week 4: Protecting Third Country Nationals Who Are Unaccompanied Minors. Legal Gaps and Challenges
Special attention will be paid during Week 4 to the case of unaccompanied minors and legal challenges emerging in this context.

Week 5: Children Protection in the Context of Judicial Cooperation in Civil Matterss
Finally, during Week 5 you will explore the guarantees of children’s rights protection in the context of the judicial cooperation in civil matters featuring mutual trust and mutual recognition and enforcement of judgements, predominantly in the area of family law.