The pre-election context is not preventing the main Basque parties from reaching agreements on legislative matters and from passing important laws with consensus above 80% of representation in the Basque Parliament. Three days after PNV and PSE, the two groups in the Basque Government, joined EH Bildu to carry out the Energy Transition Law, these three groups and Elkarrekin Podemos-IU have sealed an agreement to approve, with a consensus above of 90% of parliamentary representation, the future Law on Children and Adolescence. The rule includes the restriction of advertising of energy drinks and fast food aimed at children.
The Minister of Equality, Justice and Social Policies, Nerea Melgosa, stated this Monday that this law will be “a milestone” for the Autonomous Community of Euskadi, since it proposes a “comprehensive system that addresses all aspects of the lives of children and adolescents, guaranteeing their safety and full development, and placing the protection and promotion of their rights as the central axis of all public policies.”
“Its main objective is to clarify and reinforce policies related to childhood and adolescence, placing the best interest of children and adolescents at the epicenter of all our decisions, guaranteeing that any resolution adopted will be in favor of their well-being,” he said. noted Melgosa.
The Basque Executive has stressed that the future norm integrates the concept of “good treatment, linked to the right to life and physical and mental integrity.” To this end, it focuses on “promotion, prevention and intervention in situations detrimental to the development and protection of minors, both in cases of violence and lack of protection in the family environment.”
Beyond the philosophy that supports the future law, the norm provides for more or less concrete measures, among which “the control of advertising aimed at minors and the right to healthy eating, with the restriction of consumption” has drawn attention. of food products and beverages that are bad for the health of children and adolescents.” It is not clear, however, if this point of the rule will entail sanctions or if it will simply be prohibited from using minors in the campaigns of energy drink or fast food companies that are disseminated in the Basque Country.
EH Bildu has celebrated that a good part of the 77 amendments that they had introduced have been accepted and that, among other objectives, they will allow “the protection mechanisms for the most vulnerable children and adolescents to be strengthened, making palliative care available to them.” , locating psychological care, and not just psychiatric care, within the Basque Health Service-Osakidetza or making it easier for aid aimed at preventing child poverty to be compatible with the Income Guarantee Income (RGI)”, as indicated by Oihana Etxebarrieta .
Likewise, Elkarrekin Podemos has congratulated itself on the fact that, after introducing 31 amendments, they have achieved the commitment that education, awareness and dissemination campaigns will be developed on the safe and responsible use of the Internet, as well as on the risks that it may generate in relation to with the phenomenon of cyberbullying or early access to pornography.
Finally, Podemos has highlighted that they have “contributed to the law the respect and integration of the diversity of family models”, going from “an original text that spoke of families composed of father and mother” to one that speaks of “parents to refer to to fathers, mothers, whether by filiation or adoption, as well as to the person or persons who exercise guardianship, custody or foster care,” as explained by Miren Gorrotxategi, parliamentary spokesperson.
