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the commission must come forward quickly with its post two thousand and sixteen strategy towards the eradication of human trafficking.
however it is important to remember as we debate migration and human smuggling this week that human trafficking is a different truly vile trade that abuses victims' human rights.
we hope that parliament's upcoming work on this will help feed into this work.
it is clear that some countries have achieved a great deal and are cracking down on trafficking whilst others have still to implement the directive fully and are dragging their feet in recognising this crime.
so whilst this crime constitutes a huge abuse of fundamental rights it continues and is hugely profitable for the traffickers. our work to protect victims must be vigilant and ongoing.
in two thousand and eleven the anti trafficking directive was held up globally as the gold standard in protection of victims because it adopts a gender specific approach.
these figures do not of course include the huge numbers of victims who are not identified by authorities as victims of human trafficking.
although the very nature of this crime makes it difficult to get reliable data on the numbers of victims the eurostat report earlier this year estimated that between two thousand and ten and two thousand and twelve there were over thirty zero victims registered in twenty eight member states eighty of which were women.
although victims are varied held and controlled for a variety of reasons we cannot dismiss the significant gender dimension of this crime.
why then do we tolerate the lack of engagement by national authorities?
the eu actually has a good record on action to protect victims of human trafficking.
these numbers show that however good the eu is at tackling this issue we cannot rest on our laurels.
we in parliament look forward to receiving these proposals so that we can work closely with you to crack down on this vile trade. the commission must also ensure that they are monitoring and implementing the anti trafficking directive in every single member state.
how come commissioner they are not pursued for the figures that they have committed to feed to your officers?
trafficking is a crime committed upon the most vulnerable and those victims deserve better protection but we cannot do that effectively unless we know the state of play in each and every member state.
the transnational nature of these crimes means that we can only address both the root causes the rescue and care of victims and the punishment of perpetrators if we work together at both source and destination countries.
what more evidence do they need to take real action to which their governments have already committed themselves in order to rescue the victims and pursue the perpetrators? how much longer do these people who are controlled and sold as so much baggage have to wait to get justice? the evidence shows that human trafficking is an issue that european people want to see tackled with coordinated european action.
free movement rules make trafficking easier for those who deal in human exploitation.
having no possibility of any checks at any border obviously makes it easier than ever for people to be trafficked across our continent.
in a report from two thousand and fourteen on the balance of competences they say free movement within the eu is extensively exploited by organised criminals to bring illicit commodities including drugs human trafficking victims illegal immigrants and counterfeit goods to the uk.
' europol admits that the free movement of people and goods across the eu's internal borders reduces the chances of detection.
the uk government admits that eu free movement rules are helping organised criminal gangs to traffic and move not only illegal goods but also people.
we have to take steps to make this crime logistically impossible we have to punish the criminals and we have to punish them in such a way that it acts as an effective deterrent.
however surely the aim should be to end trafficking altogether not worry about what gender specific measures the commission should take.
two thousand and twelve two thousand and sixteen the anti trafficking directive is human rights based and victim centred.
including particularly the measures to reduce the demand that drives all forms of exploitation.
ladies and gentlemen it is imperative to continue delivering.
the employers sanctions directive already criminalises those who knowingly employ victims of trafficking who are third country nationals.
two thousand and sixteen this report will assess the measures taken by member states to comply with the anti trafficking directive.
it seriously inhibits women's ability to enjoy rights and freedom on an equal basis with men.
the study also took into consideration the recommendation of this parliament in its resolution of twenty six february two thousand and fourteen on sexual exploitation and prostitution and its impact on gender equality.
only two member states have not notified the commission yet.
the european union anti trafficking strategy comes to an end
at the same time this is a serious form of organised crime as clearly stipulated in the european union's treaties.
if we want to prevent more victims falling prey to traffickers we must follow the money both in the legal and the illegal sectors and we must stop the flows. trafficking in human beings is now an integral part of the european agenda on migration and also
eurostat data indicate that for two thousand and ten two thousand and twelve the twenty eight member states registered thirty one hundred and forty six victims.
of the european agenda on security. indeed it is a phenomenon with clear links to many policy areas within and outside the european union.
this deplorable crime would not exist without the huge profits for traffickers and the demand that drives all forms of exploitation.
trafficking in human beings is expressly prohibited in the european union's charter of fundamental rights and addressing trafficking means upholding fundamental rights.
my services are currently analysing the information provided by all member states and we will not hesitate to take all necessary steps to ensure full transposition and application of the european union's law.
that they have fully transposed the directive at national level.
in. two thousand and sixteen as stipulated in the european agendas for security and for migration we will adopt a post two thousand and sixteen strategy.
let me be clear the european union has recognised that trafficking in human beings is a structural form of violence against women.
gender plays a role at every stage of the trafficking process by increasing vulnerability to trafficking by fuelling exploitation and influencing the effectiveness of assistance and support.
the study will be finalised by the end of this year.
data prove that the most widespread form of exploitation is sexual exploitation up to sixty nine of which women and girls form the vast majority of the victims.
the european union's anti trafficking directive sets forth the legal obligation to reduce the demand that fuels exploitation including by considering criminalising those who knowingly use the services of victims.
this report will address the gender dimension and relevant considerations.
and the eu strategy towards the eradication of trafficking in human beings.
first in early two thousand and sixteen the first european union report on the progress made in addressing trafficking in human beings as per article twenty of the directive will be presented.
it is gender specific and child sensitive.
we are all concerned.
this is serious organised crime with a cross border dimension and it should be treated as such by all member states.
no one should be mistreated abused or exploited on their way to safety in europe.
we obviously share the same view.
the gender question in human trafficking needs to be fully taken into account.
let me repeat it very clearly trafficking is a crime against human rights as expressed in the european union's charter of fundamental rights.
the directive urges member states to consider measures for criminalising the use of services with the knowledge that the person is a victim of trafficking.
the european union has already taken strong action.
so what should the commission be doing in targeting the demand for buying women and girls in the sex industry? so far not enough has been done. i have read about the piece of research that has been awarded to a group of lobbyists and under qualified researchers. i am very worried about this and i think it is not serious.
to put it bluntly we do not need more police officers and border controls in this struggle.
so we look forward to a constructive dialogue with you to see what actions we can improve in order to make a difference for women and girls in europe.
madam president we are discussing an age old problem slavery and sexual exploitation. in a world where desperate people are migrating in vast numbers the environment is perfect for people traffickers to thrive.
we have an obligation to deal with this. we need tough border checks.
we need heavy punishment for the evil criminal traffickers.
we need cooperation between sovereign nation states to fight this international crime.
the truth is the rule of law and most particularly international law is better enforced with effective border control. we have an obligation to these people to these ladies and children who have been trafficked in this evil manner to make sure that we do everything we can to safeguard their freedom and give them a better future.
our human rights based approach must focus on the victims of trafficking and must discourage demand for all forms of human trafficking including for the purposes of sexual exploitation which is the most common form of exploitation.
madam president i recognise and thank the commissioner for the efforts and actions being taken in the fight against human trafficking.
the anti trafficking directive requires better and more efficient application by member states. we also urgently need to ensure that victims are protected sufficiently to be enabled in exposing the criminals.
our fight is not with the victims but with the traffickers and those who assist them.
our fight also needs to address traffickers online as they continue to expand their activities through the use of the internet.
it is so important that we work across europe to deal with trafficking and that we acknowledge the emerging tactics of the traffickers themselves who seem always to be one step ahead in this issue of modern slavery.
i also think it is important because i represent london which is a major destination for traffickers and as the eu goes into a period where we are preparing for a referendum on eu membership i believe that the issue of human trafficking will be an important debate in that.
it is women and girls who are being trafficked who are some of the most vulnerable people that we have to deal with.
taken together the action in today's cmu communication will increase the amount of financing available to companies of all sizes including smes.
it will build on all the good work done to support their financing under the european fund for strategic investment the.
let us see what more can be done to promote sustainable finance.
improved access to finance for businesses is central to our capital markets union.
this summer we launched a consultation to determine how best to support the creation of a personal pensions market.
we need to progress quickly with the adoption of these initiatives.
we share the report's emphasis on skills.
we will consider all options including new legislation.
the lesson for the uk to draw from all this even after brexit is that if the uk remains in the single market we will be subject not only to the rules on state aid but also control of our taxes.
what an irony that the so called eu competition commission is being used to eliminate competition.
in the medium term to expand the meaning of state aid within the single market rules to include tax;
in the short term to distract from the tendency of the single market to facilitate tax avoidance by abuse of its freedom of establishment;
and in the long term to abolish tax competition completely so that states have no incentive to provide public services more efficiently.
the uncertainty and the taxation without representation that would result makes it even more imperative that britain must leave the single market and that brexit must mean leaving the single market. the eu clearly does not understand businesses small medium or large.
it is not uneconomic because of the risk it is uneconomic because of the risk relative to the transaction costs that will remain at this lower end of the sme market.
we need one stop shops we need to diversify the lending base away from banks;
in my west midlands region there are three hundred and seventy eight zero small businesses a number which is growing strongly and yet only twenty six of them have employees a number which is falling.
now it does not take a genius to know that if a relatively small number of those businesses were empowered to take on some staff we would begin to make some more progress with unemployment.
but fundamentally we need to be clear that there is a gap in which lending is not economic.
that gap has to be plugged by the public sector.
i think we share a lot of thoughts on what the problems are and how to solve them and yet we still have the same discussions decade after decade on the fact that they have not gone away.
in fact we want to make it easier and cheaper to set up a company to take on employees and to avail of government support.
everybody who wants to be in business be they small medium or large should be subject to regulations.
that means smarter regulation and not more regulation.
they are there for a reason for a good reason but smarter regulation is important. the commission has given assurances that it plans to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses so we have added to the pressure today by ensuring that they live up to those commitments.
in order to grow and create the jobs needed they need both funding and equal opportunities to develop their ideas in our european market.
they need a fair and tailored national and eu legislation.
the recommendations given by my colleague othmar karas address this need but if these proposals are not backed by very concrete as well as swift legislative actions then we have crafted beautiful words but we need to turn them into actions in order to contribute to growth and competitiveness and jobs.
what we can do is boost european venture capital funds and european social entrepreneur funds. we can commit to providing technical assistance to member states and developing market based finance as part of the capital markets union initiative.
today we have proven that commitment can provide results with the efsi but it cannot work alone.
we need an intelligent approach which combines immediate initiatives to kick start investment with longer term work to improve the investment environment.
i found it particularly valuable to have a joint debate on access to finance and on the job creation potential of smes.
we all know they are suffering very badly.
would you not agree with me that the answer to this is for france to join britain with frexit as i believe madam le pen has already suggested?
we have all witnessed cases where mobile voice through ip services have been blocked.
consumers should also be more effectively protected against misleading advertising namely on the speed of the internet.
i believe that some additional guidelines from the commission on these questions could help member states to better apply eu legislation and would enable consumers and businesses to profit from the open internet.
i therefore call on the commission berec and the national regulatory authorities to closely monitor traffic management measures especially for mobile internet and take the necessary measures where anti competitive behaviour is proved. in my view the revised telecoms framework agreed in two thousand and nine provides the necessary safeguards against such anti competitive practices but we probably need more active nras which use their prerogatives to set minimum quality of service requirements. potential abuse in traffic management can be harmful to competition and can also affect freedom of expression and the freedom to conduct business which are of the utmost importance.
the commission is vigilantly monitoring their implementation.
this will allow us to ensure that open and neutral internet principles are respected in practice.
they also help their consumers to switch operator in particular by improving number portability procedures and conditions for contract subscription and termination. if needed they empower national regulators to set minimum quality of service requirements.
i would therefore urge national regulators to collaborate with their peers and the commission when considering regulatory action in this area and to act on the basis of facts.
much is at stake in the area of open internet and net neutrality.
they also need to be able to switch operators easily and quickly.
however we are very confident we will receive all the necessary input to make an informed decision.
we also want to make sure that consumers can switch providers easily if they do not like the service they are getting.
we need to know what the situation is whether customers really do know what service they are signing up to whether throttling and blocking are really common practices and what the impact is on the service quality delivered to the end user.
the house can be sure that any proposal in this area will be subject to an in depth assessment of their impact including on fundamental rights.
but for competition to work properly consumers need to make informed choices and to know exactly what service they are getting.
at this stage i cannot yet tell members yet whether the commission will develop additional guidance or general legislative measures to enhance competition and consumer choice such as by further facilitating consumer switching.
the commission has stressed on several occasions the importance of having an open internet accessible to everyone from the innovators who provide content to those who use it.
the new telecoms rules approved in two thousand and nine specifically require operators to be transparent about the service they offer and the traffic management techniques they apply.
it is very important that we have the facts and figures before acting.
these rules which had to be implemented by may this year have not yet been fully transposed in all member states.
in addition the commission has asked the body of european regulators for electronic communications in which all the member states' telecoms regulators are represented to undertake a rigorous fact finding exercise on these issues including barriers to changing operators blocking or throttling of internet traffic
in any case the wait and see approach of the commission with regard to net neutrality is hurting consumers innovation competition and society as a whole.
the key driver of this unprecedented innovation has been that all information flows and services are treated more or less equally conforming with the principle of net neutrality. recently a major telecoms provider in the netherlands bragged to shareholders about its throttling of the voice over ip and messaging services that directly compete with its core business of selling text messages and calling minutes.
the dutch parliament was quick to react and legally ensured net neutrality.
within hours it became known that all major providers in the netherlands did the same.
it is not the job of governments to protect certain business models and the dutch minister said that the company had clearly overplayed its hand.
over the last twenty years the internet and technology have developed at an extremely rapid pace giving rise to huge economic and social benefits.
so i will be watching and i will be banging this thing which i hate to do but we are going to have to do so today. i am sorry to end this debate on that note.
the debate is closed.
if you do not you infringe upon the speaking rights of your other colleagues exactly.
what were the issues that were put on the table to deal with ensuring that this open character of the internet is maintained and continues to be delivered?
against a content carried on its networks that competes with content of its own.
so within the universal service and users' rights element we ensured that the ability to switch easily and particularly if it was a voice service to take your number or indeed your internet address very speedily and quickly within one day was enshrined within that.
that transparency of contract terms is a fundamental requirement of the telecoms package and we have asked the commission to make sure that in every country regulators are enforcing those transparency and information requirements alongside the switching aspect.
the commission has been consulting about and a number of regulators have been looking at the whole issue of what the actual advertised delivery speed of one's connection is what the management measures are and what service providers are doing to deal with times where there may be limitations of capacity in times of network overload.
broadband speeds access to much greater bandwidth of communications and ability to offer different ranges and types of services on the internet might bring about the sort of anti competitive behaviour which would restrict the rights of consumers to access and distribute content and services of their choice.
it is worth just recalling that that ability of end users to access and distribute information and to run applications and services of their choice is absolutely at the heart of this whole debate about so called net neutrality and the choices that were put on the table.
this is a good report and a good resolution but the proof of the pudding will be in the implementation of what we have asked for.
my colleagues will remember that from the side of the consumers' and users' rights reforms together with the basic principles in the framework directive we spent a huge amount of time and energy crafting amendments to the existing telecoms framework to deal with some of the potential issues that might arise in a framework in which
that applies particularly to mobile operators as many of us will know.
finally in terms of what we put in and colleagues will remember the famous article twenty one of the reform on the users' rights directive we have actually given regulators for the first time the ability to intervene in the marketplace if they see that an operator is actively discriminating
first of all there was the whole principle of ensuring competition giving consumers choice of services but above all actually being able to switch providers if they did not like the types of services that were on offer or indeed any restrictions that might be placed on access to certain types of services.
in other words if an operator actually artificially degrades the quality of service provision for a particular service where it is providing a competing service.
the commission at our invitation has been following this very closely but of course my fellow chairman herbert reul is quite right in saying that the test at the moment is to see how the reforms that we put in place in the telecoms package are actually working out in practice.
the commission looks forward to seeing the outcome of your deliberations and to read the motion for a resolution which will be voted on tomorrow.
overall the commission will be vigilant that new eu telecoms rules on transparency quality of service and the ability to switch operator are applied in a way that ensures that open and neutral internet principles are respected in practice. the commission will also publish evidence
if berec's findings and other feedback indicate outstanding problems it will assess the need for more stringent measures.
we received chilling testimony of a monstrous regime of extreme brutality in many kazakh prisons with recently released prisoners describing grotesque degradation of prisoners and systematic savage beatings brutal rape and other tortures.