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The principal European child rights network will close after key funders failed to stump up the cash to keep it afloat. The European Children's Network (EURONET) has been working since the mid-1990s to promote children’s rights in European Union decision-making. But, according to outgoing President, Helmut Sax, “the current economic climate has made things more uncertain for many of EURONET’s member organisations. “ The office will close on 31 July. Elizabeth Niland, Manager, said: “It will definitely leave a gap. It is such an important time for the EU due to the developing strategy on children's rights, and so it's important that the European Commission has a representative structure working specfically on children's rights to turn to.” EURONET was initially formed by a small group of organisations wanting to secure the inclusion of children’s rights in the EU Treaties. The inclusion of children's rights in the draft Constitutional Treaty, and then the draft Lisbon Treaty, which is currently awaiting ratification by the EU, reflected these efforts. EURONET also successfully lobbied for the inclusion of the children’s rights article in the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, and urged the European Commission to develop a European Strategy on the Rights of the Child, expected to come to fruition under the next European Commission. Mr Sax said: “EURONET has played a key role in bringing about greater visibility for children’s rights in EU policy-making, which has already had an impact in many policy areas and will, we hope, be felt far into the future. ” CRIN has hosted the EURONET website since January 2007. The EURONET website will remain as an online archive until 2011. Peter Newell, chair of CRIN's trustees and coordinator of the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, said: "EUORNET worked over a long period and in an unpromising environment to get recognition of children's rights within the EU institutions and constitution. "It is particularly sad to see a children's rights organisation like this being closed down, when it is quite obvious that it or something very similar will need to be recreated - and at greater expense." Further information