{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2005-854/annex-I/division-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2005-854/annex-I/division-1.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2005/854",
  "legislation_title": "Decision No 854/2005/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 establishing a multiannual Community Programme on promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies (Text with EEA relevance)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2005-854",
  "path": "annex/I/division/1",
  "kind": "division",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "ACTION 1: FIGHTING AGAINST ILLEGAL CONTENT",
  "text": "Hotlines allow members of the public to report illegal content. They pass the reports on to the appropriate body (an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the police or a correspondent hotline) for action. Civilian hotlines complement police hotlines, where these exist. Their role is distinct from that of the law enforcement authorities, since they do not investigate offences or arrest or prosecute offenders. They may constitute centres of expertise providing guidance to ISPs as to what content might be illegal.\nThe existing hotline network is a unique structure that would not have been set up without Community funding. As pointed out in the 2002 evaluation report for the Safer Internet Action Plan, the network has been very successful in expanding membership and has an international reach. In order for the hotlines to develop their full potential, it is necessary to ensure Europe-wide coverage and cooperation, and to increase effectiveness through exchange of information, best practice and experience. Community funds should also be used to raise public awareness of the hotlines, thereby making them more effective.\nFunding will be provided for hotlines, selected following a call for proposals, to act as nodes of the network and to cooperate with the other nodes within the European network of hotlines.\nIf necessary, telephone helplines could be supported, where children could raise concerns about illegal and harmful content on the Internet.\nFor the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of hotlines, several indicators should be taken into account. Qualitative and quantitative data should be collected on the establishment and operation of hotlines, the number of national nodes, the geographical coverage in the Member States, the number of reports received, the number and level of experience of hotline staff, the reports forwarded for action to the public authorities and ISPs, and, to the extent available, action taken as a result, in particular the number and kind of web pages withdrawn by ISPs as a result of information provided by the hotlines. Those data should be made public if possible and should be forwarded to the competent authorities.\nTo ensure that the programme is effective, hotlines are required in all Member States and candidate countries where none currently exist. These new hotlines must be incorporated quickly and effectively into the existing European network of hotlines. Incentives must be given to speed up the process of setting up hotlines. Links between this network and hotlines in third countries (particularly in other European countries where illegal content is hosted and produced) should be promoted, enabling common approaches to be developed and know-how and best practice to be transferred. In accordance with national legislation, and where appropriate and necessary, mechanisms for cooperation between civilian hotlines and law enforcement authorities must be further improved, including, for example, the development of codes of conduct for such hotlines. Where appropriate, there may be a need for hotline staff to receive legal and technical training. Active participation by hotlines in networking and cross-border activities will be mandatory.\nHotlines should be linked to Member State initiatives, supported at national level and should be financially viable to ensure continued operation beyond the duration of this Programme. Co-funding is intended for civilian hotlines and therefore will not be provided for hotlines run by the police. Hotlines will make clear to users the difference between their activities and those of public authorities, and will inform them of the existence of alternative ways of reporting illegal content.\nIn order to achieve maximum impact and effectiveness with available funding, the hotline network must operate as efficiently as possible. This can best be achieved by assigning a coordinating node to the network, which will facilitate agreement between the hotlines so as to develop European-level guidelines, working methods and practices which respect the limits of the national laws applying to the individual hotlines.\nThe coordinating node will:\npromote the network as a whole, so as to generate European-level visibility and raise public awareness thereof throughout the European Union, providing e.g. a single identity and entry point giving straightforward access to the appropriate national contact,\nmake contact with appropriate bodies with a view to completing the network’s coverage in the Member States and candidate countries,\nimprove the operational effectiveness of the network,\ndraw up best practice guidelines for hotlines and adapt them to new technology,\norganise regular exchanges of information and experience between hotlines,\nprovide a pool of expertise for advice and a coaching process for start-up hotlines, particularly in candidate countries,\nensure liaison with hotlines in third countries,\nmaintain a close working relationship with the awareness-raising coordinating node (see point 4 below) so as to ensure the cohesion and effectiveness of overall programme operations and increase public awareness of the hotlines,\nparticipate in the Safer Internet Forum and other relevant events, coordinating input/feedback from hotlines.\nThe coordinating node will monitor the effectiveness of hotlines and collect accurate and meaningful statistics on their operation (number and type of reports received, action taken and result, etc.). These statistics should be comparable across Member States.\nThe hotline network should ensure coverage of and the exchange of reports on the major types of illegal content of concern — extending beyond the area of child pornography. Different mechanisms and expertise may be required to deal with other areas such as racist content, which might involve other types of node dealing with the various issues. Since the financial and administrative resources of the programme are limited, not all such nodes would necessarily receive funding, which might have to be concentrated on a reinforced role for the coordinating node in those areas.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2005/854/annex/I/division/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:17:46.052324+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}