WRITTEN QUESTION E-0490/00 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) and Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Commission. Sex trafficking in Kosovo.
Date: 2000-02-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, Kosovo, common foreign and security policy, position of women, sexual violence, trafficking in human beings

C 26 E/50

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.1.2001

(2001/C 26 E/063)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0490/00

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) and Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Sex trafficking in Kosovo

(24 February 2000)

Is the Commission aware of press coverage referring to sex trafficking involving women from impover-
ished parts of Eastern Europe, taking place in Kosovo?

Would the Commission indicate what action they would support intended to end this trade, and the
suffering that it causes?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(17 March 2000)

The Commission is aware of, and concerned about, the reports that trafficking in women for the purpose
of sexual exploitation is taking place into, through and from Kosovo. It seems to be the case that Kosovo is
not only a place of origin, but also a place of transit and destination.

As regards the situation in Kosovo, the Commission is taking an active part in the work under the stability
pact for South Eastern Europe. Within working table III on justice and home affairs, and the Council(cid:146)s
multidisciplinary working group on organised crime, work is under way to combat organised crime in
Kosovo and the neighbouring region. Trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation
forms an important part of this work.

As regards the trafficking in human beings going through and from Kosovo to the Member States and
candidate countries, the Commission will continue to support actions and projects under the STOP and the
forward legislative proposals to approximate
DAPHNE programmes. The Commission will also put
Member States criminal laws on trafficking, including the issue of temporary permits of stay for victims
of trafficking who are prepared to give evidence. In addition, the Commission actively participates in
international co-operation against trafficking in a wider context. This includes the Group of eight most
industrialised countries (G8), the Organisation for security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council
of Europe and the United Nations (UN) (e.g. draft Convention on transnational organised crime and the
three additional protocols, one of which concerns trafficking).

(2001/C 26 E/064)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0494/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(24 February 2000)

Subject: Problem of security and jurisdiction

In its reply to Question No E-2160/99 (1), the Commission states that the objective put forward by the
European Council in Tampere to provide citizens with a high level of safety (cid:145)shall be done by, inter alia,
developing common action among Member States in the field of police cooperation(cid:146) and that (cid:145)common
action in the field of police cooperation shall include cooperation and joint initiatives in, among others,
the use of equipment(cid:146). The Commission nevertheless adds that any action developed in this context shall
not affect
the responsibilities incumbent upon Member States with regard to the
maintenance of law and order and the safeguarding of internal security. The Commission concludes that
the measures proposed by the questioner (cid:145)seem to fall under the said responsibilities of Member States(cid:146).

the exercise of

Can the Commission specify whether such measures (cid:145)seem to fall(cid:146) or do actually fall under the

1.
responsibilities of Member States?

In the latter case, how can the different measures in each country regulating the use of certain self-

2.
defence devices, such as sprays, be reconciled?