WRITTEN QUESTION P-2318/01

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 July 2001)

Subject: Trafficking in human beings in the EU: the example of Greece

The recent US Department of State report on trafficking in human beings notes that some EU countries and candidate countries lack the appropriate legislation and infrastructures to combat trafficking in human beings.

The report is especially critical of Greece which, it says, receives women from Balkan and former Soviet Union countries who either stay on in Greece or are channelled to Western European countries.

Greece is the only EU country to be classified by this report in the worst category together with countries of the Third World.

Will the Commission say whether it has any research or reports on this specific issue giving precise and substantive assessments for the individual Member States?

Does it intend to take practical initiatives to promote cooperation between Europol, Interpol and the police authorities of the Member States on this specific issue?

What initiatives does it intend to take in order to deal effectively with these phenomena, given the particularly negative situation in Greece as regards the legislative framework, prevention, repression and the provision of help for the victims?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(13 September 2001)

The Honourable Member is referring to the recent report on trafficking of the United States Department of State which indicates that some Member States, including Greece, and candidate countries lack the appropriate legislation and infrastructures to combat trafficking in human beings. The Commission has taken note of this report.

Since 1996 projects under the STOP Programme provides information about the situation on trafficking in human beings in the Member States. This information has been provided both through research projects and conferences. The adoption of the STOP II Programme on 28 June 2001 will allow for continued support to projects on trafficking. Furthermore, the European Forum on Prevention of Organised Crime, which was launched on 17/18 May 2001 and includes a workshop on trafficking in human beings, puts emphasis on a knowledge based approach. The workshop concluded inter alia that there is a need to improve the understanding of the phenomenon and that links between structures having as their task to report on trafficking nationally should be established. Finally, Europol produces each year a General Situation Report on trafficking in human beings in the Union.

Europol already has the competence to combat trafficking in human beings according to the Europol Convention of 26 July 1995 and a subsequent Joint Action supplementing the definition on trafficking in human beings in the Convention. Trafficking in human beings is one of the priorities of Europol and a co-operation agreement has been reached with Interpol. Furthermore, the Community's Police Chiefs Operational Task Force discussed the subject at its meeting on 8-9 March 2001. They invited Europol to organise expert meetings, elaborate threat assessments and open Analysis Work Files. The Task Force also encouraged the development of specialised units and joint investigation teams in co-operation with Europol.

Concerning the penal provision, there are prospects for a final adoption by the Council of a Framework Decision on approximation of the constituent elements of criminal law and penalties. The Commission intends to put forward a legislative proposal on temporary permits of stay for victims of trafficking that are prepared to co-operate in investigations and proceedings against their exploiters.

Support for the victims of trafficking requires a multidisciplinary approach with all relevant actors and most actions are developed at national and local level. The Community may contribute to them under the Community Support Framework and the European Social Fund in particular, in accordance with the overall objectives of combating exclusion from the labour market end developing human resources. Several Community programmes can support projects of transational co-operation in this field, such as the STOP, Daphne and gender equality programmes and the EQUAL initiative.

The Commission also co-operate at international level to combat trafficking. One significant example is the signing, together with all Member States, of the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organised Crime and its accompanying Protocol on trafficking in December 2000. In the context of the Union's external relations, the Commission has, furthermore, supported information campaigns to prevent trafficking in human beings in, from and through Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland and Ukraine. Currently programmes for Belarus, Moldova, Russia and the Ukraine are being developed or are ongoing.