WRITTEN QUESTION E-0919/04 by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission. Trafficking in human beings.
Date: 2004-03-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European convention, UN convention, action programme, fight against crime, human rights, interinstitutional relations, ratification of an agreement, trafficking in human beings

C 88 E/550

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

In particular, Section 4 of the Irish pieces of legislation called ‘European Communities (Road Traffic)
(Compulsory Insurance) (Amendment) Regulations (S.I. No 463 of 2001)’ now provides such statutory
cover with effect from 12 October 2001. According to the new provision, Section 69 of the Irish Road
Traffic Act, 1961 (Law No 24 of 1961), which originally allowed random checks of vehicles from other
EU countries, shall no longer apply to mechanically propelled vehicles which are normally based in EEA
and EU countries other than Ireland.

Following the amendments of the Irish law bringing them into conformity with Community law, the
Commission closed these infringement proceedings at its meeting held on 20th March 2002.

(1) Council Directive 72/166/EEC of 24 April 1972 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to
insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles, and to the enforcement of the obligation to
insure against such liability, OJ L 103, 2.5.1972.

(2004/C 88 E/0561)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0919/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(26 March 2004)

Subject: Trafficking in human beings

Trafficking in human beings is a global problem which is on the increase. Women and children constitute
the majority of those who are trafficked, very often for purposes of sexual exploitation.

The Commission has acknowledged that trafficking in human beings is a type of organised crime that
needs to be tackled at European level and has taken steps to deal with this problem, for example by
establishing the Expert Group on Trafficking in Human Beings.

Is the Commission cooperating with other international actors on a global level so as to develop measures
to combat trafficking in human beings throughout the world? What courses of action have been proposed?
What is the Commission doing to encourage EU Member States and all the signatories to the UN
Convention against Transnational Organised Crime to ratify and implement the Convention and commit to
its ‘Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in People, Especially Women and Children’?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

trafficking in human beings.

in order to prevent and combat

The Commission continuously maintains relations and cooperates with other international actors such as
the United Nations (UN), the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council
of Europe (CoE)
the
Commission signed, on behalf of the Community, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking
in People, Especially Women and Children supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational
Organised Crime. On several occasions, the Commission has called on Member States to ratify the Protocol
as soon as possible. In order to promote and accelerate implementation of the Protocol at EU level, the
Commission launched a proposal for a Council Framework Decision on combating trafficking in human
beings (1), which was adopted on 19 July 2002. Member States shall have implemented the Framework
Decision before August 2004. Furthermore, in October 2003 the Council adopted a resolution ‘Combating
in particular women’ with an aim to further accelerate ratification and
trafficking in human beings,
implementation by Member States of all international instruments against trafficking in human beings and
to intensify international cooperation in the fields of prevention, victim protection and assistance.

In particular,

In February 2003, the Commission contributed to a Tri-Partite Plus meeting, which was organised by the
UN in Geneva. The meeting brought together representatives from various inter-national and supra-
national organisations and institutions (OSCE, CoE, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and others) and aimed at a better coordination
of their policies and measures against human trafficking. In May 2003, the Commission attended the 12th
session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention, which focused on trafficking in human beings,
especially women and children.

8.4.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

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the Commission is participating in the negotiations in the CoE concerning a European
Currently,
Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. In particular, the Commission will as soon as
possible submit to the Council a recommendation for a Council decision authorising the Commission to
negotiate the draft convention and corresponding directives covering those Community competencies that
are relevant for a number of articles of the draft Convention. Besides this, for the remaining third pillar
issues, the Commission will submit a proposal for a common position.

The prevention of and the fight against trafficking in human beings is constantly an issue in relations
between the EU and third countries in Eastern Europe and in the Western Balkans. In the context of the
EU-Africa dialogue the Commission supported the elaboration of an action plan on trafficking in human
beings, which is (cid:1) for reasons not related to human trafficking (cid:1) still awaiting formal adoption. Another
example of the Commission’s activities is the participation as an observer in the so-called ‘Bali Process’,
which is a regional initiative including meetings at political and experts’ level in Southeast-Asia further to
the Bali Conference in February 2002 on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related
Transnational Crime.

(1) OJ L 203, 1.8.2002.

(2004/C 88 E/0562)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0922/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(26 March 2004)

Subject: VAT on postal services

When it presented its proposal to apply VAT to postal services (1) in May 2003, the Commission said that
the fact that postal operators would be able to deduct their [VAT] costs ‘should mitigate price increases as
far as private consumers are concerned’ (source (cid:1) Commission press release IP/03/633).

How can this statement be reconciled with statements by An Post in Ireland that it has no plans to ‘pass
on’ any savings in current VAT costs in the form of reduced tariffs if this Directive is approved, as
suggested by the Commission? If An Post does not deduct these VAT costs, what is the Commission’s
estimate of the likely price increases in Ireland if this Directive is approved?

(1) COM(2003) 234.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

In May 2003, when presenting its proposal amending the Sixth VAT Directive (1) as regards VAT on postal
services, the Commission explained that once the proposal was adopted, public postal operators would, for
the first time, obtain the right to deduct VAT on their costs. This should mitigate price increases as far as
private consumers are concerned.

According to the Honourable Member, the Irish universal service provider, An Post has stated that it has
no plans to ‘pass on’ any savings in current VAT costs in the form of reduced tariffs if this Directive is
approved. Under the rules of the EC Treaty, particularly article 82, and under the provisions of Directive
97/67/EC (2), public postal operators cannot determine the prices they charge for their services, especially
in the reserved area, without regard to their costs. Directive 97/67/EC states that Member States shall
designate national regulatory authorities that shall have as a particular task to ensure compliance with the