COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Reporting on the follow-up to the EU Strategy towards the Eradication of trafficking in human beings and identifying further concrete actions
Date: 2017-12-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU programme, fight against crime, help for victims, human rights, organised crime, trafficking in human beings

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.12.2017 COM(2017) 728 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Reporting on the follow-up to the EU Strategy towards the Eradication of trafficking in human beings and identifying further concrete actions  
 
 
I. Introduction 

Trafficking in human beings remains a highly profitable form of serious and organised crime, 
explicitly  prohibited  in  the  EU  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights.1  Behind  each  victim  lie 
devastating  experiences  and  suffering  that  must  be  appropriately  acknowledged  and 
addressed, and more importantly, prevented. Given the harm caused to the victims, prevention 
should remain a cornerstone of EU anti-trafficking action. This Communication sets out key 
actions  that  need  to  be  stepped  up  by  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States,  including 
cooperation  with  EU  agencies,  civil  society,  non-EU  countries  and  all  other  relevant 
organisations and bodies. 

Clearly, there are substantially more victims than those covered by official figures. The crime 
has  an  obvious  gender  dimension.  Trafficking  for  sexual  exploitation,  involving  mainly 
women and girls as victims, is consistently reported as the prevalent form.2 

Driven  by  considerable  profits3  and  a  very  complex  interplay  of  supply  and  demand, 
trafficking involves a complex chain of actors who are knowingly or unknowingly involved. 
The  links  in  this  chain  must  be  broken  if  the  crime  is  to  be  eradicated.  Perpetrators  and 
abusers  exploit  people’s  vulnerabilities,  exacerbated  by  factors  such  as  poverty, 
discrimination, gender inequality, male violence against women, lack of access to education, 
conflict,  war,  climate  change,  environmental  degradation,  and  natural  disasters,  for  the 
purposes of sexual or labour exploitation, begging, criminal activities and more. 

As  traffickers’  modus  operandi  is  constantly  evolving,  the  EU  needs  to  tackle  the  links 
between  trafficking  in  human  beings  and  other  crimes,  including  migrant  smuggling, 
terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking, cybercrime and online sexual exploitation, production 
of  material  involving  the  sexual  abuse  of  children,  financial  crime,  document  fraud,  credit 
card fraud, and benefit fraud.4  

As underlined in the European Agenda on Migration, the European Agenda on Security5 and 
other  EU  policy  instruments,6  the  EU  remains  committed  to  preventing  and  combating 
trafficking  in  human  beings  and  to  protecting  victims’  rights,  taking  account,  in  particular, 
vulnerabilities of trafficked women and children. Moreover, trafficking in human beings is a 
priority  crime  threat  area  in  the  2018-2021  EU  Policy  Cycle  on  Organised  and  Serious 

1  
2  

3  

4  

5  

6  

Article 5 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art.79 TFEU and Art. 83 TFEU. 
According to Commission data, 67 % of registered victims of trafficking in the EU are victims of sexual 
exploitation (95 % of whom are women or girls), followed by labour exploitation (21 % of victims) and 
other  forms  of  exploitation  (12 %).  This  is  consistent  with  trends  identified  by  regional  and 
international organisations. 
Annual  profits  from  all  forms  of  trafficking  in  human  beings  are  estimated  at  EUR 29.4 bn  globally 
(Europol’s Report on Trafficking in Human Beings, Financial Business Model (2015). 
COM(2016) 267 final; COM(2017) 195 final; Europol’s Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment 
(IOCTA)  2016,  EU  Serious  and  Organised  Crime  Threat  Assessment  (SOCTA)  2017  and  Situation 
Report, Trafficking in Human Beings in the EU (2016). 
European  Agenda  on  Migration,  COM(2015)  240  final;  European  Agenda  on  Security  (COM(2015) 
185 final. 
Commission  Communication  on  ‘An  Open  and  Secure  Europe:  Making  it  Happen’  (COM(2014)154 
final); Commission Communication on protection of children in migration (COM(2017)211); as well as 
related to EU Drug Strategy (COM(2017) 195 final); Security Union Progress reports (COM(2017) 213 
final, SWD(2017) 278 final, COM(2017) 407 final. 

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International Crime7. In addition, the political commitment to stepping up EU action against 
trafficking in human beings, within the EU and around the world, is supported by the Global 
Strategy on the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy (EUGS) and by relevant EU 
strategies and action plans8 and European Parliament resolutions.9 There is also strong support 
from civil society.10  

In  the  last  years,  the  European  Union  has  established  a  comprehensive  and  consistent  legal 
and policy framework for combating trafficking in human beings. This covers all EU policy 
areas  relating  to  trafficking  in  human  beings  including  funding  and  research.  Directive 
2011/36/EU11  on  preventing  and  combating  trafficking  in  human  beings  and  protecting  its 
victims (‘the Directive’) sets out the legal framework. The Commission continues to monitor 
the implementation of the Directive12 by Member States and to report on progress. 

The EU Strategy towards the Eradication of trafficking in human beings13 (‘the Strategy’) has 
been  the  main  instrument  for  developing,  coordinating  and  implementing  EU  action  in  this 
area.  The  actions  which  the  Strategy  lists  under  five  key  priorities  relating  to  prevention, 
prosecution,  protection  of  victims,  partnerships,  and  improving  knowledge  have  been 
implemented14. 

Globally,  however,  the  socio-political  context  has  changed  significantly  since  the  Directive 
and the Strategy were adopted. The economic and social impact of the global financial crisis, 
the  migration  crisis  and  the  security  threats  posed  by  organised  crime  groups  further 
exacerbate  vulnerabilities,  and  therefore  require  stronger  action  at  both  national  and  EU 
levels. Such action must continue to pursue a human rights-based, gender-specific and child-
sensitive  approach,  and  their  implementation  needs  to  be  coordinated  within  the  EU  and 
externally, as well as across various policy fields. 

Building  on  the  Strategy  and  the  ongoing  efforts  to  fully  implement  the  Directive,  this 
Communication  proposes  a  set  of  targeted  priorities  to  step  up  the  EU's  efforts  to  prevent 
trafficking  in  human  beings.  It  focuses  on  disrupting  the  business  model  that  trafficking  in 
human beings depends on, improving victims’ access to rights, and ensuring that EU internal 
and external actions provide a coordinated and consistent response. 

7  

8  

9  

10  

11  

12  

13  
14  

Council  conclusions  on  setting  the  EU’s  priorities  for  the  fight  against  organised  and  serious 
international  crime  between  2018  and  2021,  7704/17.See  also,  the  EU  Serious  and  Organised  Crime 
Threat Assessment (Europol, 2017). 
Human Rights and Democracy Action Plan; the framework for the EU’s activities on gender equality 
and women’s empowerment in the EU’s external relations for 2016-2020; the Strategic Engagement on 
Gender Equality; the EU Strategy on Corporate Social Responsibility and the new European Consensus 
on Development. 
European Parliament resolutions on implementation of Directive 2011/36/EU (P8 TA(2016)0227) and 
on the fight against trafficking in human beings in the EU’s external relations (P8 TA(2016)0300). See 
also  the  EP  FEMM  Committee's  10  key  messages  to  the  European  Commission,  FEMM/8/09 816 
(3 May 2017). 
As  expressed  at  the  regular  meetings  of  the  EU  Civil  Society  Platform  against  trafficking  in  human 
beings, at public events and in numerous submissions to the Commission.  
Directive  2011/36/EU  on  preventing  and  combating  trafficking  in  human  beings  and  protecting  its 
victims, OJ L-101, 15.04.2011, p. 1. 
COM(2016)  722  final  (‘Transposition’  report),  COM(2016)  719  final  (‘User  report’),  adopted  on 
2.12.2016. 
COM(2012)286 final. 
For 
trafficking/publications/eu-anti-trafficking-action-2012-2016-glance_en. 

glance:https://ec.europa.eu/anti-

overview:  EU 

anti-trafficking 

action 

an 

at 

a 

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II. Targeted priorities for stepping up EU action to prevent trafficking in human beings 

On the basis of the ongoing implementation of the Strategy, the outcomes of the two reports 
under  Article  23  of  the  Directive15  and  extensive  coordination  work  and  exchanges  with  a 
range of stakeholders,16 and in order to step up EU action, three targeted priorities have been 
identified: 

  Stepping  up  the  fight  against  organised  criminal  networks  by  means  including 

disrupting the business model and untangling the trafficking chain; 
  Provide better access to and realise the rights for victims of trafficking;  
 

Intensify a coordinated and consolidated response, both within and outside the EU. 

A. Disrupting the business model and untangling the trafficking chain 

Profits  on  lawful  and  illicit  markets  and  demand  for  the  services  and  goods  provided  by 
victims of trafficking in human beings remain high wherever a culture of impunity for both 
perpetrators  and  users  prevails.  The  analysis  in  the  Commission’s  ‘Users’  Report,  which 
assesses the impact of existing relevant national legislation, reveals a diverse legal landscape 
within the EU. National law fails to effectively contribute to discourage demand for services 
which are the objects of exploitation of trafficking in human beings. 

Key action 

Starting in 2018, the Commission will: 

  further encourage those EU Member States, to the extent they have not done so, to 
criminalise those knowingly using services exacted from victims of trafficking.  

Following  the  money  throughout  the  trafficking  chain  is  crucial  to  turning  trafficking  in 
human  beings  into  a  'high-risk,  low-return'  crime.  This  can  be  done  by  intensifying 
investigations  and  prosecutions  and  facilitating  proactive  financial  and  intelligence-led 
investigations, asset recovery, freezing and confiscation of profits. Closer cooperation will be 
promoted  for  this  purpose.  It  will  comprise  capacity  building  between  national  authorities, 
including in non-EU countries, and will be carried out through appropriate networks such as 
the Financial Action Task Force,17 and with the support of EU agencies. 

Discouraging  the  demand  for  all  forms  of  exploitation,  including  through  the  responsible 
management  of  global  value  chains  is  key  in  this  respect.  As  reflected  in  the  EU  Trade 
Strategy18 and the Council Conclusions on Responsible Global Value Chains of 12 May 2016, 

15  
16  

17  

18  

‘Transposition’ report and ‘Users’ report. 
EU Network of National Rapporteurs and Equivalent Mechanisms on trafficking in human beings; EU 
Civil Society Platform against trafficking in human beings; EU Justice and Home Affairs agencies; EU 
institutions; international organisations. 
Cooperation  will  include  activities  carried  out  in  the  context  of  applying  the  Fourth  Anti-Money 
Laundering Directive and in the areas of activity of the EU Financial Intelligence Units Platform, the 
Association of Law Enforcement Forensic Accountants and the Network.  
Commission Communication "Trade for All - Towards a more responsible trade and investment policy" 
COM(2015)497; Report on the implementation of the Trade Policy Strategy Trade for All- Delivering 
on a progressive trade policy to harness globalisation COM(2017) 491.  

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the  EU  has  taken  action  in  several  policy  areas,19  in  both  the  internal  and  the  external 
dimension, to ensure supply and value chains without trafficking in human beings, including 
in the garment sector.20 The purpose of such action includes the implementation of legislation 
on  non-financial  reporting  and  public  procurement21,  trade  instruments  and  sector-specific 
measures.  It  also  includes  measures  to  encourage  companies  to  ensure,  by  adopting  and 
applying  codes  of  conduct  and  reporting/transparency  mechanisms,  that  their  supply  and 
value chains involve no trafficking.22 

Key actions 

As of 2018, the Commission will: 

  encourage  and  assist  EU  national  authorities  in  their  concrete  initiatives  to  disrupt 
the 
financial  business  model  by  developing  operational  activities  and 
methodologies,  following  good  practice,  raising  awareness,  capacity  building  and 
providing training as relevant; 

  encourage and assist Member States to make investigations and prosecutions more 
effective  through  capacity  building,  development  of  tools,  information  exchange, 
sharing best practice, law enforcement and judicial cooperation, including promoting 
the  setting  up  of  Joint  Investigation  Teams  both  within  the  EU  and  with  non-EU 
countries.  This  can  be  done  with  the  support  of  the  relevant  EU  agencies,  the 
European Judicial and Training Network and the European Crime Prevention Network 
as well as internationally, including through the EU development programmes and the 
actions under the Common Foreign and Security Policy; 

  promote  sustainable  business  practices  and  working  conditions  in  production 
countries.  This  can  be  done  by  focusing  on  development  cooperation  and  financial 
support  to  ensure  trafficking-free  supply  and  value  chains  in  line  with  binding 
international  labour,  social  and  environmental  standards  as  well  as  EU  policies 
and initiatives; 

  promote  best  practice  and  training  sessions  with  relevant  national  authorities, 
businesses and civil society, especially on applying the guidelines on the methodology 
for reporting non-financial information that includes trafficking in human beings. 

B. Provide better access to and realise the rights for victims  

The  EU  has  a  legislative  and  operational  framework  for  helping,  supporting  and  protecting 
victims  of  trafficking  in  human  beings.  The  Commission  has  published  ‘The  EU  rights  of 
victims of trafficking’23 in all the official EU languages. This document gives a practical and 
comprehensive  overview  of  victims’  rights,  based  on  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of 
the European Union, EU legislation and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. 

19  

20  

21  

22  

23  

These  include:  transparency,  employment  and  labour  conditions,  environment  and  climate  change, 
social dialogue, public procurement, trade, development cooperation, and international relations. 
For  more  information,  see;  https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/overview-garment-related-
activities_en.pdf . 
Directive  2014/24/EU  on  public  procurement  and  repealing  Directive  2004/18/EC  contains  explicitly 
trafficking in human beings as an exclusion ground under Article 57.  
Article  57  of  Directive  2014/24/EU  on  public  procurement  and  repealing  Directive  2004/18/EC 
explicitly mentions trafficking in human beings as grounds for exclusion. 
‘EU  Rights  of  the  victims  of  trafficking  in  human  beings’,  available  at:  https://ec.europa.eu/anti-
trafficking/sites/antitrafficking/files/eu_rights_of_victims_of_trafficking_en_1.pdf . 

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Identifying victims efficiently and at an early stage is the first step towards making sure they 
are  treated  as  ‘rights  holders',  have  access  to  their  rights  and  can  exercise  them  effectively, 
which  includes  receiving  appropriate  assistance  and  protection.  As  concluded  in  the 
‘Transposition  Report’,  national  authorities  have  made  substantial  efforts  to  enact  the 
Directive in national law, but there is still significant room for improvement, particularly as 
regards  protection  and  support  measures.24  Inadequate  access  to  information  about  victims’ 
rights  and  ineffective  referral  mechanisms  at  national  and  transnational  level,  coupled  with 
failure to identify all those who fall victim to trafficking (including those in mixed migration 
flows)  continue  to  prevent  victims  of  trafficking  from  actually  benefiting  from  the  rights  to 
which they are entitled.25  

To  this  end,  the  Commission  will  continue  to  support  practitioners  and  authorities  in  EU 
Member States. Building capacities and disseminating best practice for detecting victims, and 
focusing  on  guaranteeing  access  and  providing  appropriate,  gender-specific  and  child-
sensitive  assistance  and  effective  remedies  are  vital  aspects  of  all  EU-level  efforts.  These 
efforts include developing expertise within EU agencies and making use of it, and promoting 
training courses on identifying victims for border guards, law enforcement authorities, asylum 
and  immigration  officers,  reception  centre  workers,  consular  and  EU  staff,  guardians  for 
unaccompanied children, as well as authorities with responsibilities in this area who are likely 
to  come  into  contact  with  victims  of  trafficking,26  For  this  reason,  the  Commission  will 
support  measures  designed  to  improve  the  identification  and  appropriate  national  and 
transnational referral of victims. It will also promote cooperation between countries of origin, 
transit and destination, as well as with civil society and international organisations, to make 
sure that victims are identified early on. 

Further,  the  Commission  will  support  the  Member  States  in  making  comprehensive  and 
accessible protection and help the integration of victims of trafficking, taking account of the 
specific needs of each gender. It will also monitor and advise on implementing child-sensitive 
services  at  national  level  -  including  care,  health  and  education  for  victims  of  trafficking  - 
taking into consideration the gender, age and particular needs of individual children. Finally, 
it  will  promote the implementation  of  the  ‘10  EU  Principles  for  Integrated  Child  Protection 
Systems’.27 

Key actions 

From the end of 2017, the Commission will: 

  publish, in cooperation with the European Institute for Gender Equality, guidance 
to  Member  States  on  gender-specific  measures  for  helping  and  supporting 
victims; 

24  

25  

26  

27  

The  Transposition  report  refers  to  specific  child  protection  measures,  presumption  of  childhood  and 
child  age  assessment,  protection  before  and  during  criminal  proceedings,  access  to  unconditional 
assistance,  compensation,  non-punishment,  assistance  and  support  to  the  family  member  of  a  child 
victim. 
Report  on  the  progress  made  in  the  fight  against  trafficking  in  human  beings,  COM(2016)  267  final 
('Progress report'). 
The  Handbook  for  the  processing  of  visa  applications  and  the  modification  of  issued  visas  already 
makes recommendations on best practice in processing applications submitted on behalf of minors, to 
make sure there are no grounds for suspecting child trafficking or child abuse (C(2010) 1620 final). 
Available at:http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-
rights/files/rights_child/10_principles_for_integrated_child_protection_systems.pdf. 

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  develop,  in  cooperation  with  the  European  Agency  of  Fundamental  Rights, 
practical guidance to enhance inter-agency and transnational cooperation aiming 
to  prevent child trafficking of  EU children, ensure  protection of child victims, 
find durable solutions and safeguard their rights under EU and international law; 
  review  the  functioning  of  the  Member  States’  national  and  transnational 

referral mechanisms; 

  focus on capacity building to improve cooperation by means of EU border and 
migration  management  tools  for  detecting,  identifying  and  sharing  information 
and data on victims of trafficking and traffickers; 

  advise  national  authorities  on  key  concepts  relating  to  trafficking  in  human 
beings, to help improve operational work, policy development, data comparability 
and reporting. 

C. Intensify a coordinated and consolidated response, both within and outside the EU 

The EU will take further steps to improve coordination of the internal and external aspects of 
EU  anti-trafficking  action.  Trafficking  in  human  beings  is  often  linked  with  other  types  of 
crimes,  including  transnational  crimes.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  encourage  the 
national authorities and EU agencies to address trafficking as a form of organised crime that 
does not stop at national or EU borders, and cooperate with non-EU countries. 

The  EU  Anti-Trafficking  Coordinator  contributes  to  a  coordinated  and  consolidated  Union 
response against trafficking in human beings. In this context, the Coordinator ensures closer 
cooperation  at  EU  level  among  all  the  organisations  and  bodies  participating  in  networks, 
notably the EU Network of National Rapporteurs and Equivalent Mechanisms on trafficking 
in human beings; the EU Civil Society Platform against trafficking in human beings; and the 
contact  points  in  EU  Justice  and  Home  Affairs  agencies28  with  the  Coordination  Group  on 
Trafficking in Human Beings. Other agencies  committed to addressing trafficking in human 
beings and other relevant EU-level platforms and networks are also included.  

In cooperation with the European External Action Service, the Commission will continue to 
ensure  that  an  anti-trafficking  angle  is  systematically  included  in  all  aspects  of  its  relations 
with non-EU countries and in all relevant policy areas, including human rights, security and 
organised crime, and gender equality. It will also ensure that commitments on trafficking in 
human  beings  set  out  in  the  New  York  Declaration29  are  implemented  and  help  shape  the 
Global  Compact  on  Migration  through  political  and  operational  cooperation.  This  will  be 
done  by  promoting  enhanced  bilateral  and  regional  cooperation  with  relevant  partners  and 
other organisations by means including targeted financing under relevant instruments.  

Relevant  actors  in  EU  and  non-EU  countries  will  be  encouraged  to  tackle  issues  including 
protecting  victims  and  reintegrating  them  into  society  in  their  initiatives  on  prevention, 
education and shelters, and to address the situation of vulnerable women, children and other 
groups, including the Roma. The Commission will support them in these endeavours. 

28  

29  

The seven EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies issued a joint commitment to address trafficking in 
human beings in 2011. 
Resolution 71/1 adopted by the General Assembly on 19 September 2016, New York Declaration for 
Refugees and Migrants. 

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Support will be furthered to non-EU countries cooperating with the EU to implement security 
sector reforms and establish the rule of law on their territory, with the aim of prevention and 
tacking of trafficking in human beings, building strong law enforcement and prosecution. 

In addition, the EU will step up its external action targeting criminal organisations involved in 
trafficking in human beings. This includes action taken under the mandates of the  Common 
Security  and  Defence  Policy  missions  and  operations,  also  involving  priority  countries, 
including  for  counter-terrorism  activity  in  the  Middle  East,  North  Africa  and  the  Western 
Balkans. 

Key actions 

From the end of 2017, the Commission will: 

  together  with  the  Member  States  and  the  European  External  Action  Service,  review 
and  identify  the  priority  countries  and  regions  for  action  against  trafficking  in 
human  beings,  ensuring  consistency  and  complementarity  with  the  priorities  and 
programming identified in all fields of international engagement, and in particular in 
migration, security and human rights areas; 

  work  towards  achieving  Agenda  2030  Sustainable  Development  Goals  with 
particular attention to targets 5.2, 8.7 and 16.2 addressing trafficking in human beings, 
in line with the European Consensus on Development;30 

  promote  a  renewed  commitment  by  EU  Justice  and  Home  Affairs  agencies  to 
working  together  against  trafficking  with  the  involvement  of  further  relevant 
agencies; 

  ensure  that  the  components  of  the  European  Union—United  Nations  Spotlight 
Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls31 that relate to trafficking in 
human beings are implemented;  

  ensure that the measures relating to trafficking in human beings included in the Joint 
Staff  Working  Document  ‘EU’s  activities  on  gender  equality  and  women’s 
empowerment in the EU’s external relations’ are implemented; 

  ensure  that  the  commitments  made  under  the  Call  to  Action  on  Protection  from 
Gender-Based  Violence  in  Emergencies  are  met,  including  assigning  humanitarian 
aid specifically to supporting prevention of and responses to gender-based violence. 

III. Cross-cutting priorities for stepping up EU action to prevent trafficking in human 
beings 

In addition to the three specific priorities, two cross-cutting priorities have been identified to 
continue  widening  the  knowledge  base  and  improving  understanding  of  this  complex 
phenomenon, and to provide appropriate funding in support of anti-trafficking initiatives and 
projects. 

Understanding the nature, scale and costs of the crime is key to ensuring appropriate action at 
the EU level to prevent the phenomenon. Research, reliable and comprehensive statistics are 
crucial in identifying and addressing trends, developing evidence-based policy, and measuring 

30  
31  

New European Consensus on Development -‘Our world, our dignity, our future’, 2017/C 210/01. 
The initiative is backed by a budget of EUR 500 m. 

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the impact of individual initiatives. With the implementation of the Strategy, sound basic data 
on trafficking in human beings has been gathered at EU level, but this needs to be developed 
further. The Commission will continue to develop data collection methodologies to produce 
comparable statistics on trafficking in human beings within the EU. It will also follow up the 
EU-wide  survey  on  the  availability  of  data  concerning  trafficking  in  human  beings  in  EU 
countries  that  was  conducted  in  2017.  The  launch  of  an  EU-wide  anti-trafficking  campaign 
will  help  raise  awareness  and  improve  understanding  of  the  nature,  implications  and 
complexity of the crime. 

The  EU  will  also  continue  to  support  anti-trafficking  actions  through  multiple  funding 
streams,32  both  within  the  EU  and  elsewhere.  In  its  funding  support,  the  Commission  will 
prioritise  action  to  meet  the  specific  needs  of  people  in  vulnerable  situations,  including 
victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, in the context of combating all forms of violence 
against women and children, including in emergencies, and keeping children in education. 

Cross-cutting actions for a sound knowledge base 

From 2018, the Commission will: 

  publish a study on the economic, social and human costs of trafficking; 
  publish a study on the impact of the EU approach to combating trafficking for sexual 

exploitation, and promote the sharing of best practice among EU countries; 

  publish, in the next Commission Progress Report, the latest criminal justice statistics 
on  the  EU  situation  as  regards  trafficking  in  human  beings,  with  support  from 
Eurostat,  the  national  statistical  authorities  and  the  EU  Network  of  National 
Rapporteurs and Equivalent Mechanisms; 

  launch  an  EU-wide  awareness-raising  campaign  on  trafficking  in  human  beings, 

targeting users, consumers, and vulnerable groups and high-risk sectors. 

Cross-cutting actions to support anti-trafficking priorities in EU and non-EU countries 

  Support  anti-trafficking  objectives  and  priorities,  including  projects  taking  particular 
account of the gender dimension of the phenomenon, high-risk groups as well as 
high-risk  sectors  through  various  EU  funding  programmes,  such  as  the  Asylum 
Migration  &  Integration  Fund  (AMIF),  the  Internal  Security  Fund  (ISF)  Police  & 
Borders, Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, 
Justice  Programme  and  Rights,  Equality  &  Citizenship  Programme,  European 
Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) and Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), 
Mobility  Partnership  Facility,  the  European  Development  Fund,  the  Development 
Cooperation  Instrument,  the  EU  Instrument  contributing  to  Stability  &  Peace  (IcSP) 
and the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. 

IV. Conclusion 

32  

Study  on  the  Comprehensive  Policy  Review  of  Anti-Trafficking  Projects  funded  by  the  European 
Commission  (2016),  available  at:  https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/publications/comprehensive-
policy-review-anti-trafficking-projects_en  .  Between  2004  and  2015,  the  Commission  directly  funded 
321 anti-trafficking projects at a total of EUR 158.5 m. This dataset does not include money allocated in 
response to the migration crisis. 

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Progress  has  been  made  in  the  consolidation  of  the  EU  work  against  trafficking  in  human 
beings.  However,  since  the  phenomenon  has  continued  to  evolve,  EU  action  to  combat 
trafficking  in  human  beings,  both  within  and  beyond  the  EU,  needs  to  be  stepped  up.  This 
Communication  therefore  identifies  a  set  of  targeted  cross-cutting  priorities  for  a  stronger 
response, to be followed up by all relevant authorities and organisations in a more coordinated 
and  consolidated  manner  starting  as  of  end  of  2017.  Member  States  should  use  all  the 
ambitious tools available to them to implement the measures agreed on at EU level without 
delay.  The  Commission  will  monitor  progress  on  the  action  set  out  in  this  Communication 
and report on progress to the European Parliament and the Council by end of 2018. 

9