2007/675/EC: Commission Decision of 17 October 2007 setting up the Group of Experts on Trafficking in Human Beings
Date: 2007-10-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: fight against crime, self-employed person, trafficking in human beings

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COMMISSION DECISION

of 17 October 2007

setting up the Group of Experts on Trafficking in Human Beings

(2007/675/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Whereas:

(1) With a view to enhancing the fight against trafficking in
human beings at European level and in accordance with
the Brussels Declaration (1)
that expressed the
need for a group of experts on trafficking in human
beings to be set up by the Commission, the group was
created with the Commission Decision 2003/209/EC of
25 March 2003. The consultative group is to be known
‘Experts Group on Trafficking in Human
as
the
Beings.’ (2).

(2002)

(2)

The Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings was
mandated to contribute to the further development of
trafficking in
the prevention of and the fight against
human beings,
to enable the Commission to gather
opinions in view of Commission initiatives relating to
trafficking in human beings and to prepare a report
based on the recommendations set out in the Brussels
Declaration. The Experts Group in December 2004
submitted the report together with a set of recommen-
dations with a view to launching further concrete
proposals at European level.

(3)

The Commission Communication of 18 October 2005
‘Fighting trafficking in human beings — an integrated
for an action plan’ (3) was
approach and proposals
largely based upon the report and the recommendations

(1) The Brussels Declaration was adopted at the European Conference
on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings —
Global Challenge for the 21st Century from 18-20 September
2002, OJ C 137, 12.6.2003, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 79, 26.3.2003, p. 25.
(3) COM(2005) 514 final.

developed by the Experts Group. On 1 December 2005,
the Council adopted the EU plan on best practices,
standards and procedures for combating and preventing
trafficking in human beings (4), which reflects a number
of suggestions made in the Commission's Communi-
cation.

In the light of the valuable work carried out by the
Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings since
2003 that has enabled the Commission to further
develop its policy in the area and taking into account
the increasing importance at global
level of the policy
area of trafficking in human beings, the Group of Experts
should continue its work. A new decision is required in
order to take account the enlargement of the European
Union. The scope of the group of experts should also be
extended and should be able to benefit from a wider
range of expertise that is demanded by the changing
phenomenon of trafficking in human beings.

and international

European, national

The Group of Experts should continue to advise the
Commission taking into account current developments
at
In
particular, it should assist the Commission in the imple-
mentation and development of actions envisaged in the
EU plan on best practices, standards and procedures for
combating and preventing trafficking in human beings of
December 2005 while paying special attention to the
area of labour exploitation.

level.

The Group of Experts
should be composed of 21
members representing a balance of representatives of
public bodies of EU Member States and non-profit orga-
nisations of the European Union, and Europol. Experts
from the academic sector and consultancies specialising
in the non-profit sector should also be eligible for
membership.

The Group of Experts should be able to establish sub-
groups in order to facilitate and accelerate its work by
focusing on a specific issue. The terms of reference of
such sub-groups should be agreed upon by the Group of
Experts as a whole and should be clearly defined.

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(4) OJ C 311, 9.12.2005, p. 1.

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(8)

(9)

Rules on disclosure of information by members of the
Group of Experts
should be provided for, without
prejudice to the Commission’s rules on security as set
out
Commission Decision
to
2001/844/EC, ECSC, Euratom (1).

the Annex

in

Personal data relating to members of the group should
be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No
45/2001 of
the
the European Parliament
Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of
individuals with regard to the processing of personal
data by the Community institutions and bodies and on
the free movement of such data (2).

and of

(10)

The term of office of the Members should be three years
and should be renewable.

(11) Decision 2003/209/EC should be repealed,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

(c)

to help the Commission assess the evolution of policy in the
filed of trafficking in human beings at national, European
and international levels;

(d) to assist

the Commission in identifying and defining
possible relevant measures and actions at European and
national level across the range of the anti-trafficking policy;

(e) The Group of Experts shall issue opinions or reports to the
Commission at the latter's request or on its own initiative,
taking into due consideration the implementation and
further development at EU level of the EU Plan on best
practices, standards and procedures
for combating and
preventing trafficking in human beings, and related forms
of exploitation. It will also take into account the gender
dimension.

3.
The Chairperson of the group may advise the Commission
that is desirable to consult the group on a specific question.

Article 3

Membership — Appointment

The group of experts on trafficking in human beings
The ‘Group of experts on Trafficking in Human Beings’, here-
inafter referred to as ‘the group’, is hereby set up.

1.
The group shall be composed of 21 members. Call for
application to be a member in the group will be published in
the Official Journal and at the public website of Directorate-
general Justice, liberty and Security.

Article 2

Consultation

The Commission may consult the group on any matter

1.
relating to trafficking in human beings.

2.
The members of the group of experts shall be appointed
from specialists with expertise and experience in the fight
against
including the labour
dimension of trafficking in human beings, taken from:

trafficking in human beings,

2.

The group's task shall be:

(a) administrations of the Member States (up to 11 members);

(a)

to establish cooperation between Member States, other
parties as
listed in Article 3 paragraph 2(b) and the
Commission on the range of questions relating to trafficking
in human beings;

(b) inter-governmental,

international

and non-governmental
organisations active at European level with well documented
expertise and experience in the area of trafficking in human
beings (up to 5 members);

(b) to help the Commission, by issuing opinions related to the
trafficking in human beings, and ensuring a coherent
approach to the subject;

(c) social partners and employers' associations operating at

European level (up to 4 members);

(1) OJ L 317, 3.12.2001, p. 1. Decision as last amended by Decision

2006/548/EC, Euratom (OJ L 215, 5.8.2006, p. 38).

(2) OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

(d) Europol (1 member);

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(e)

individuals with experience deriving from academic research
for public or private universities or institutes in Member
States may also become members of the group (up to 2
members).

The sub-groups shall comprise a maximum of nine members
and shall be dissolved as soon as their mandates are fulfilled.

3.
The members referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2 shall
be designated and appointed by the Commission on the
referred to in
proposal of Member States. The members
points (b), (c) and (e) of paragraph 2 shall be appointed by
the Commission from among those who have responded to
the call
for applications. The member referred to in (d) of
paragraph 2 shall be appointed by Europol.

4.
On the basis of the call for applications applicants who
were deemed suitable candidates for group membership, but
were not appointed, should be placed on a reserve list, with
their consent. The Commission will use this
the
list
appointment of replacements for members, if needed.

for

5. Members of the group shall remain in office until such
time as they are replaced or their terms of office ends.

6. Members who are no longer capable of contributing effec-
tively to the group’s deliberations, who resign or who do not
comply with the conditions set out in paragraph 3 of this
Article, or Article 287 of the Treaty, may be replaced for the
remainder of their term of office.

7. Members appointed in a personal capacity shall each year
sign an undertaking to act
in the public interest and a
declaration indicating the absence or existence of any interest
which may undermine their objectivity.

The names of members appointed in a personal capacity
the DG Justice,
the Official

8.
shall be published on the Internet site of
Freedom and Security and in the C Series of
Journal of the European Union.

The names of members shall be collected, processed and

9.
published in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001.

Article 4

Operation

3.
Information obtained by participating in the deliberations
of the group or its sub-group shall not be divulged if, in the
opinion of the Commission, that information relates to confi-
dential matters.

4.
The group and its sub-groups shall normally meet on
Commission premises in accordance with the procedures and
schedule established by it. The Commission shall provide secre-
tarial services to the meetings of the group and its sub-groups.
Representatives of interested Commission services may attend
meetings of the group and its sub-groups.

5.
The group shall adopt its rules of procedure on the basis
of the standard rules of procedure adopted by the Commission.

6.
The Commission may publish, in the original language of
the document concerned, any summary, conclusion, or partial
conclusion or working document prepared by the group.

Article 5

Additional experts

1.
The Commission may invite experts or observers from
outside the group with specific competence in a subject on
the agenda to take part in the work of the group.

2.
The Commission may invite official representatives of
Member States, candidate countries or third countries and of
international, inter-governmental and non-governmental organi-
sations to participate at the meeting of the Group of Experts.

Article 6

Meeting expenses

subsistence

The Commission shall reimburse travel and, where appro-
1.
priate,
in
connection with the group’s activities in accordance with the
Commission’s rules on the compensation of external experts.

for member

and experts

expenses

1.
The group shall elect a Chairperson and two vice Chair-
persons from among its members acting by a simple majority.

The members, experts and observers shall not be remun-

2.
erated for the services they render.

2.
In agreement with the Commission, sub-groups may be
set up within the framework of the group to examine specific
questions under terms of reference established by the group.

3. Meeting expenses are reimbursed within the limits of the
annual budget allocated to the group by the responsible
Commission services.

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Article 7

Repeal

Article 8

Applicability

Decision 2003/209/EC is repealed.

The Decision shall apply for 3 years.

Done at Brussels, 17 October 2007.

For the Commission

Franco FRATTINI
Vice-President