Tag Archives: Trafficking in human beings

Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings

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Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings

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These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Justice freedom and security > Fight against trafficking in human beings

Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings

This Decision sets up a group of experts to provide the European Commission with expertise in preventing and fighting trafficking in human beings.

Document or Iniciative

Commission Decision 2003/209/EC of 25 March 2003 setting up a consultative group to be known as the “Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings”.

Summary

Trafficking in human beings is a serious violation of human rights. Since 1996, the European Union (EU) has taken a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to the fight against this phenomenon by adopting various legal instruments such as the Framework-Decision 2002/629/JHA) and a series of programmes including:

  • A programme of incentives and exchanges for persons responsible for combating trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children (STOP I and II);
  • A programme on preventive measures to fight violence against children, young people and women (DAPHNE Programme);
  • A framework programme on police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters (AGIS).

As part of the STOP II programme, in September 2002, the European Commission, in conjunction with the International Organisations for Migration (IOM) and the European Parliament, organised the European Conference on Preventing and Combating Traffic in Human Beings – Global Challenge for the 21st Century.

The final result of the Conference is the Brussels Declarationwhich states that “trafficking in human beings is an abhorrent and worrying phenomenon involving coercive sexual exploitation, labour conditions akin to slavery, exploitation in begging and juvenile delinquency as well as domestic servitude”.

The recommendations attached to the Declaration call for an experts group to be set up to consolidate and develop the validity and performance of standards and best practices of the counter trafficking policy.

Provisions relating to the experts group

The Experts Group will take the form of a consultative group in accordance with current practice in other areas. The aim is to provide the European Commission with expertise in the shape of opinions or reports relating to the prevention of and the fight against trafficking in human beings. The group is required to submit a report within nine months of being set up, to enable the Commission to launch new initiatives at European level.

The group will consist of experts in the fight against trafficking in human beings. They must have acquired experience from activities in entities involved in the fight against trafficking in human beings. They will be appointed by the Commission by a procedure involving all the actors concerned. There will be no remuneration.

For the sake of balance, the number of experts in the group is set at 20 including seven from the administrations of EU Member States, four from the administrations of the candidate countries and nine from inter-governmental, international and non-governmental organisations engaged in activities at European level with proven competence and experience in the fight against trafficking in human beings.

The one-year term of office may be renewed. The decision to renew the term of office will be taken on the basis of the results obtained by the group.

Activities of the group

In order to fulfil its mission, the experts group may set up ad hoc working parties comprising eight members at most.

The experts’ opinions and reports are transmitted to the Commission, which can publish them on the Internet. If these documents are unanimously adopted by the group, it may establish common conclusions

Additional experts

Under the decision, the experts group can invite official representatives of the Member States, candidate countries or third countries and of international, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations to hold a dialogue at an early stage between the States and organisations which will have to implement future measures possibly based on the group’s recommendations.

References

Act Entry into force – Date of expiry Deadline for transposition in the Member States Official Journal
Decision 2003/209/EC 26.3.2003 – 16.10.2007 – OJ L 79 of 26.3.2003

Related Acts

Commission Decision 2007/675/EC of 17 October 2007 setting up the Group of Experts on Trafficking in Human Beings [Official Journal L 277 of 20.10.2007].

This Decision repeals Decision 2003/209/EC as of 17 October 2007.

Towards a Strategy on the Rights of the Child

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Towards a Strategy on the Rights of the Child

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Towards a Strategy on the Rights of the Child

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These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Human rights > Fundamental rights within the European Union

Towards a Strategy on the Rights of the Child

The European Commission proposes a strategy to effectively promote and safeguard the rights of the child in the European Union’s internal and external policies and to support Member States’ efforts in this field.

Document or Iniciative

Commission communication of 4 July 2006 – Towards an EU strategy on the rights of the child [COM(2006) 367 – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

Children’s * rights form an integral part of the human rights that the EU is bound to respect under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, the Millennium Development Goals and the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR). In addition, the EU explicitly recognised children’s rights in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Children’s rights are still far from being generally respected, and there are still cases of basic childhood needs not being met, such as the right to an adequate diet, basic medical care and education. Moreover, many children are put to forced labour, are victims of human trafficking, or are involved in armed conflicts as child soldiers.

The specific problems found in the EU include social exclusion of Roma children, child trafficking, child pornography on the Internet, and the administering to children of drugs not previously subjected to specific tests.

Building on its long-standing tradition and commitment with regard to human rights in general and children’s rights in particular, the EU has the necessary weight to push children’s rights to the forefront of the international agenda and to encourage specific attention to children’s needs, drawing on Europe’s values of social protection and on the other programmes it is implementing.

In this document, the European Commission proposes a strategy for protecting the rights of the child within the framework of the EU’s internal and external policies. This strategy is based on the following specific objectives:

  • taking advantage of existing policies and instruments;
  • establishing the priorities of future EU action;
  • systematically taking the rights of the child into account in all EU external and internal policies (“mainstreaming”);
  • ensuring efficient coordination and consultation mechanisms;
  • reinforcing competence and expertise on the rights of the child;
  • communicating more effectively on the rights of the child;
  • promoting the rights of the child in the field of external relations.

In order to attain these objectives, this strategy envisages a number of measures, namely:

  • setting up one single six-digit telephone number (beginning with 116) within the EU for child helplines, as well as a number for a hotline dedicated to missing and sexually exploited children;
  • support for the banking sector and credit card companies in combating the use of credit cards when purchasing sexual images of children on the Internet;
  • launching an Action Plan on Children in Development Cooperation;
  • publication of a consultation document with a view to identifying actions to be implemented in the future;
  • setting up a European Forum for the Rights of the Child and an online discussion platform;
  • involving children in the decision-making process;
  • development of a communication strategy on the rights of the child, helping both children and their parents to improve their knowledge of these rights.

The Commission is committed to allocating the resources needed for the measures proposed in this Communication and for future strategy. A progress report will be presented every year.

Key terms used in the act
Child: any person under 18 years of age.

Key terms used in the act
  • Children in the world: 2.2 billion.
  • Children living in developing countries: 86% of the total number. These countries also account for 95% of those who die before reaching the age of five, who do not have access to primary education or who are victims of forced labour or sexual abuse.
  • One third of all children suffer from malnutrition during the first five years of their life. One sixth, mostly girls, don’t go to primary school.
  • Over 10 million children under five die each year from illnesses that could easily be prevented or treated.
  • One billion children have impeded physical, intellectual and/or psychological development.
  • 218 million children are put to forced labour.
  • 1.2 million children are victims of human trafficking.
  • 300 000 children are involved in armed conflicts as child soldiers.
  • Over 200 million children live with a serious disability.
  • 140 million children are orphans.

Related Acts

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 5 February 2008 – A Special Place for Children in EU external action [COM(2008) 55 final – not published in the Official Journal].

8. This communication contributes to establishing an action plan for children in the EU’s external action, based on a holistic approach which takes into account the different facets of the problem and which draws on humanitarian, development, security and human rights policies. It complements the “EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child”, adopted by the Council on 10 December 2007, which provide the foundation for EU action to protect and promote the rights of the child in its external policy.

Fight against trafficking in human beings

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Fight against trafficking in human beings

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Fight against trafficking in human beings

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Justice freedom and security > Fight against trafficking in human beings

Fight against trafficking in human beings

Trafficking in human beings, for whatever reason – sexual exploitation or work – is a violation of fundamental human rights. Because it affects vulnerable groups such as women and children in particular, the European Union has focused its action on objectives aiming to protect these groups and to prevent and combat this phenomenon, especially by strengthening cooperation and coordination between the police and judicial authorities of the Member States. Likewise, the EU is introducing a framework of common provisions in order to tackle certain issues, such as criminalisation and penalties or aggravating circumstances in the case of trafficking in human beings. The action of the EU, which in this way is also designed to protect the victims of trafficking, is based on instruments defining its objectives and priorities, but it is also integrated in a broader context of protection against violence, sexual tourism and child pornography.

GENERAL FRAMEWORK

  • Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings
  • Group of Experts on Trafficking in Human Beings
  • Combating violence towards children, adolescents and women: Daphne III programme (2007-2013)
  • Protocol against the trafficking of people
  • Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Air and Sea
  • Residence permit for victims of human trafficking
  • Plan on best practices, standards and procedures
  • The external dimension of the area of freedom, security and justice
  • Combating trafficking in human beings
  • Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings
  • Action to prevent violence against children, young people and women: the DAPHNE II programme (2004-08)
  • Action to combat violence against children, young persons and women: the Daphne programme
  • STOP II
  • Incentive and exchange programme for persons responsible for combating trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children (STOP)

THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

  • Combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography
  • Safer Internet programme 2009-13
  • Combating child pornography on the Internet
  • Combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography
  • Search for missing or sexually exploited children
  • Action plan on unaccompanied minors (2010-14)
  • Protecting children in the digital world
  • Towards a Strategy on the Rights of the Child
  • Combating trafficking in human beings, the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography
  • The implementation of measures to combat child sex tourism
  • Combating child sex tourism

THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN

  • New measures to combat trafficking in women
  • Trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation

Fighting corruption

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Fighting corruption

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Fighting corruption

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These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Fight against fraud > Fight against corruption

Fighting corruption

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee of 6 June 2011 – Fighting corruption in the EU [COM (2011) 308 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

Corruption affects all countries of the European Union (EU) to various degrees. Corruption is harmful, not only financially but also socially, because it is often used to mask other serious crimes such as trafficking in drugs or human beings. In addition, it can weaken citizens’ trust in democratic institutions and their political leaders.

Several anti-corruption instruments exist at international and EU level, but their implementation by Member States remains uneven.

In order to strengthen the political will, in all Member States, to tackle this problem, the Commission announces the setting up of an Anti-Corruption Report and calls on EU countries to implement the existing anti-corruption instruments more effectively. It also presents measures aimed at a stronger focus on corruption in EU internal and external policies.

Anti-Corruption Report

Starting in 2013, the Commission will publish an Anti-Corruption Reportevery two years as an EU evaluation and monitoring mechanism. The Report will identify trends and weaknesses that need to be addressed, and stimulate exchange of best practices. It will give a better reflection of the efforts made and problems encountered, and of the causes of corruption.

The Report will be based on data from different sources, including the monitoring mechanisms of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations, but also from independent experts, research findings, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), Eurojust, Europol, the European Anti-Corruption Network, Member States, Eurobarometer surveys and civil society.

Implementation of existing instruments

The Commission urges the EU countries to transpose all European legislation against corruption in the private sector into their national law and to ensure that it is applied properly.

It also asks the Member States that have not already done so to ratify the existing international anti-corruption instruments: the Criminal Law Convention and the Civil Law Convention on Corruption of the Council of Europe, the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the OECD Convention.

The Commission also intends to enhance cooperation with those international authorities and will request EU participation in the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) created within the Council of Europe.

Focus on corruption in EU policies

Anti-corruption should be an integral part of all relevant EU policies, both internal and external.

Internally, the Commission intends in particular to strengthen judicial and police cooperation in the field of corruption, in collaboration with Europol, Eurojust, the European Police College (CEPOL) and OLAF. It also aims to improve the training of law enforcement officials in this field.

The Commission will also propose modernised EU rules on confiscation of criminal assets to ensure that courts in Member States are able to effectively confiscate and recover criminal assets, including in cases involving corruption. Because corruption is often linked to money laundering, the Commission will present a strategy in 2012 to strengthen the quality of criminal financial investigations. Lastly, to gain a better measure of the extent of corruption and the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures, an Action Plan to improve statistics on crime and criminal justice is under preparation.

The Commission will also focus on modernising EU rules governing public procurement, accounting standards and statutory audit for EU companies. It has also adopted an Anti-Fraud Strategy against fraud affecting the financial interests of the Union.

Externally, the Commission will continue to focus strongly on the monitoring of anti-corruption policies in candidate countries and potential candidates for EU accession. It plans to make this fight a key aspect of the support given by the EU to countries participating in the Neighbourhood Policy. With regard to cooperation and development policies, the Commission promotes greater use of the conditionality principle, i.e. making compliance with international anti-corruption standards a condition of cooperation and development assistance.

Related Acts

Report from the Commission to the Council of 6 June 2011 on the modalities of European Union participation in the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) [COM (2011) 307 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

of 28 September 2011 setting up the Group of Experts on Corruption [OJ C 286 of 30.9.2011].
The task of this Group of Experts is to advise the Commission on all matters relating to corruption and, in particular, to assist it in producing the EU Anti-Corruption Report.