EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/556

(2004/C 78 E/0591)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3460/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 November 2003)

Subject: Foot-dragging by the future Member State Czech Republic in connection with efforts to stamp out child prostitution in areas close to its border with Germany

1. Is the Commission aware that, according to a report by the German aid organisation KARO, since the early 1990s their parents' poverty has forced hundreds of children between the ages of 9 and 14 into prostitution in areas on the Czech side of the border with Germany and that these children are being abused by sex tourists from Germany?

2. Is the Commission aware, moreover, that the Czech Government has thus far refused to acknowledge the substance of KARO's report, is rejecting calls from Unicef to take the matter seriously and has ignored the recent offer from the German Government to lend assistance in dealing with these evils?

3. Does the Commission regard it as acceptable that the future EU Member State Czech Republic, instead of taking measures to deal with this abuse of children, is investigating possible criminal offences by KARO involving defamation, partly on the grounds that the details supplied by KARO for many years concerning the colour and registration numbers of the cars driven by regular users of prostitutes did not take the form of official legal reports?

4. Does the Commission regard it as acceptable, in general, that EU Member States should refuse to acknowledge their cross-border problems which affect other Member States, that they should take action against non-governmental organisations and that they should refuse to cooperate with neighbouring countries with a view to solving the problems in question?

5. How can the Commission help to resolve this problem before the Czech Republic becomes an EU Member State on 1 May 2004, thereby ensuring that this unacceptable state of affairs along what will shortly be an EU internal frontier does not become permanent?

Source: The 6 November 2003 edition of the Netherlands daily newspaper de Volkskrant.

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(7 January 2004)

The Commission is aware of the KARO project, which offers support for prostitutes and victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, including children. KARO receives financial support from the Interreg Programme of the Union.

The Commission is also aware of the book ‘Kinder auf dem Strich. Bericht von der deutsch-tschechischen Grenze’, written by Ms. Cathrin Schauer, who is working for KARO, and edited and presented by the German Committee for United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT) Germany on 28 October 2003.

The Commission took note of the statements made by the Government of the Czech Republic in this context and of the ongoing debate about the publication concerned. The Commission is in permanent contact with the Government of the Czech Republic and will continue to observe the situation as well as the future steps of the Czech Government in order to provide any possible support for the fight against child abuse.

In its Regular Report 2002, the Commission concluded that the Czech government had undertaken significant steps to address the issue of human trafficking. Over the past years, the Czech government has undertaken several steps to improve the legal framework in this respect. An amendment to the Criminal Code in 2002 extends the scope of the definition of ‘trafficking’ to also cover children and an amendment of the Criminal Proceedings Code has accelerated and simplified the proceedings involving child victims. In 2000, the Czech government adopted a national plan combating commercial sexual abuse of children and in 2003 a national plan combating trafficking in human beings for purposes of sexual exploitation. The implementation of the plans is followed up on a regular basis. The Commission encourages the Czech authorities to take further action, in particular for ensuring an effective monitoring system, detecting and prosecuting of perpetrators. It is also important that Czech authorities ensure close co-operation between relevant police departments, internally as well as with neighboring countries.

Under the PHARE programme, the Commission has provided substantial funding to the Czech authorities for fighting organised crime and trafficking in human beings. To this effect, approximately EUR 5,5 million has been made available to the Czech Republic over the last four years. Further support can be provided after accession under the Transition Facility.

The Commission reiterates that the prevention of and the fight against child trafficking, child prostitution and sexual exploitation of children needs to be addressed by Member States and Accession and Candidate Countries in a co-operative manner following a multidisciplinary approach. Such an approach includes consequent action against criminals sexually abusing children as well as measures preventing children from being forced into prostitution and sexual abuse. Co-operation between the competent public authorities and the relevant international, inter-governmental or non-governmental organisations should be intensified wherever possible in an enlarged Union.

The Framework Decision on combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, once formally adopted by the Council and implemented by Member States, would be another important step in the fight against these abhorrent phenomena.