Council Resolution of 20 October 2003 on initiatives to combat trafficking in human beings, in particular women
Date: 2003-10-20
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: child, cross-border cooperation, help for victims, trafficking in human beings, woman

C 260/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

29.10.2003

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

to promote

(1) UNDERLINES that the ageing of the population concerns all
current Member States and acceding countries and that it is
and integrated
useful
approach to ensure adequate and sustainable pension
to develop
provision in the future;
policy
future
and
responses
generations to remain active as they grow older.

to encourage present

is also essential

comprehensive

it

a

(2) CONFIRMS that the setting up of adequate, sustainable and
modern pension systems falls within the competence of
national policies, but that this process can be supported
by strengthened cooperation at European Union level
based on the open method of coordination.

(3) REITERATES the particular importance of the objective of
extending working life, in line with the Barcelona target,
both as a contribution to the sustainability and adequacy of
pension systems and as an integral aspect of the goal of
increasing overall and specific employment rates in line
with the Lisbon and Stockholm targets.

(4) UNDERLINES the importance for the Council

(EPSCO) of
taking a more active role in promoting coordination
between employment and social policies, as part of the
overall effort to achieve adequacy, financial sustainability
and modernisation of pensions systems.

in

(5) UNDERLINES that the Social Protection Committee, where
appropriate
Employment
cooperation with
Committee and the Economic Policy Committee, should
provide substantial support
in
particular by carrying out specific studies focusing on
common challenges for pension systems.

to the Council

(EPSCO),

the

(6) WELCOMES the Commission's undertaking, in view of the
if appropriate, the
2004 Spring European Council and,
Tripartite Social Summit, to present a report on progress
towards the Barcelona objective of raising the effective
average age at which people stop working.

it

is

(7) UNDERLINES how essential

to coordinate social
protection, economic and employment policies and to
continue,
to
focus a high level of attention on ensuring adequacy,
alongside the financial sustainability and modernisation of
systems.

in the framework of

the reform process,

(8) RECOGNISES the need also to modernise occupational
pension schemes and notes that the Social Partners have
been invited, on the basis of the Commission's consultation
document under Article 138 of the Treaty on the port-
ability of occupational pensions, to consider an approach
to reducing obstacles to mobility.

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 20 October 2003

on initiatives to combat trafficking in human beings, in particular women

(2003/C 260/03)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION:

RECALLING

— that according to Article 5(3) of the Charter of Funda-
the European Union trafficking in

mental Rights of
human beings is prohibited,

— the Hague Ministerial Declaration of 26 April 1997 on
European Guidelines for effective measures to prevent and
Combat Trafficking in Women for the purpose of sexual
exploitation,

— that the Tampere European Council in October 1999 called
for action against human trafficking and the sexual exploi-
tation of children,

— Council of Europe Recommendation 11 (2000) on traf-
ficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploi-
tation and Recommendation 1545 (2002) concerning
campaigns against trafficking in women,

— the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, especially Article 6, and

the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially
Articles 34 and 35,

— in particular that the Palermo Protocol (2002) to Prevent,
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially
Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention
against Transnational Organised Crime, develops a compre-
hensive approach specifically addressing trafficking in
human beings and covers criminalisation, protection and
assistance
this
as well
phenomenon,

as prevention of

to victims

— the conclusions of the Syracuse Conference of December
2002 aiming to raise awareness of the issue of trafficking,
particularly with regard to women, and of the need to
widen and intensify activities in the Member States,

— that in this context, the Council (JHA) meeting with the
candidate countries on 28 September 2001 agreed on 12
measures to combat trafficking, among them active oper-
ational cooperation, organisation of information campaigns
and providing assistance to victims,

29.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 260/5

— the Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA of 19 July

CALLS ON MEMBER STATES TO:

2002 on combating trafficking in human beings,

— that the Brussels Declaration of September 2002 aims at
further developing European and international cooperation,
concrete measures, standards, best practices and mech-
anisms
trafficking in human
beings and that the Council Conclusions of 8 May 2003
agree to examine appropriate proposals made to implement
specific items contained in the Declaration,

to prevent and combat

— that the High Commissioner for Human Rights, in 2002,
issued Recommended Guidelines and Principles on Human
Rights and Human Trafficking stressing that the human
rights of trafficked persons should be at the centre of all
efforts to prevent and combat trafficking and to protect,
assist and provide redress to victims, where appropriate,

— that action within the European Union is being developed
taking a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach
towards preventing and combating these phenomena,

against

— ratify and fully implement all international conventions and
instruments
in
particular the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and
Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Trans-
national Organised Crime,

trafficking in human beings,

— take into account the Hague Declaration of 26 April 1997,
which invites Member States to provide or explore the
possibilities for the appointment of National Rapporteurs
on Trafficking in women,

— continue their full commitment to pursuing at national,
European and international level their activities against traf-
ficking in human beings,
in particular women, wherever
possible in cooperation with, and where appropriate by
providing support to NGOs,

— that in terms of financial support, Community programmes
are an important tool with a view to strengthening policies,
practices and cooperation in the EU and between EU
Member States and candidate
fight
against human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of
children,

countries

in the

— in particular that the Structural Funds (ESF and ERDF) can
financially support actions to provide assistance to victims,
as well as undertaking prevention and facilitating the social
and economic integration of victims of human trafficking.

RECOGNISING THAT:

— the aforementioned UN instruments

for
enhanced global cooperation which is also reflected in
developments regarding the European Union's relations
with countries outside the Union,

form a basis

— trafficking in human beings as defined by European Union
law is not only a crime aiming at the sexual or labour
exploitation of persons, in particular at the sexual exploi-
tation and domestic slavery of women and children, but
also shows disregard for the human rights of the victims,

— a variety of measures are required to tackle this present
form of human slavery and programmes are also required
for the purposes of the prevention of trafficking, the reha-
bilitation and the social
integration of victims, alongside
efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators and put a stop
to further victimisation,

limited to, gender

— eradication of the root causes of trafficking including, but
not
inequalities as well as unem-
ployment, poverty and all forms of exploitation, should
be at the forefront of long-term efforts to fight trafficking
in women.

aimed

commitment

in respect of

their
such as

concrete
— underline
measures,
increasing
campaigns,
awareness and to intensify cross-border and international
cooperation in the fields of prevention, victim protection
and assistance, with a view to achieving tangible results in
the fight against
trafficking in human beings, especially
women, building on good practices and networks at the
appropriate levels,

at

— support and protect victims in accordance with national
law in order to make it possible for them to return safely
adequate
to their
protection in their host countries,
in the context of
measures
supported through the Structural Funds and
Community Programmes.

countries of origin or

to receive

INVITES THE COMMISSION AND THE MEMBER STATES TO:

— use the financial resources of

the Community Initiative
EQUAL to promote, in accordance with national law, the
social and vocational integration of its beneficiaries,

— promote measures to set up a monitoring system on traf-
ficking in human beings in order to provide updated data
collection of
through
information from the competent National Authorities
such as National Bureaux and National Rapporteurs,

continuous

regular

and

the

the victims, have a gender

— ensure that all actions and initiatives to prevent the traf-
ficking of human beings, especially women and children,
and to protect
sensitive
perspective,
that they are consistent with internationally
recognised principles of non-discrimination and that they
take into account the respect for the human rights and
fundamental freedoms of the victims in accordance with
Community and national law.