Summary: EU Commission pushes EU's fight against human trafficking (18 October 2005: Brussels)
Today, the European Commission presented its communication "Fighting trafficking in human beings - an integrated approach and proposals for an action plan". This communication shows ways to consolidate and improve the European Union's anti trafficking policy. It will help addressing human trafficking by action not only in the area of justice and home affairs but also by taking appropriate initiatives in other policy fields, notably in the EU's external relations and development policy.
"Actively preventing and combating human trafficking, committed for the purpose of sexual or labour exploitation", underlined Vice-President of the Commission Franco Frattini, responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security"is a moral necessity. The protection of human rights is our fundamental concern. Law enforcement must use all the resources and capacity available to enforce the prohibition of human trafficking and to deprive it of any economic advantage. Child trafficking, in
particular, must be tackled in the light of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights that stresses the child's best interests as a primary consideration in all actions relating to children. EU institutions and Member States should ensure that the EU anti trafficking policy reflects a child rights approach based on globally recognised principles, in particular in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Such approach must consequently apply to any person below the age of 18."
"This Communication puts the victims and the potential victims at the center of our policies", stressed the Commissioner in charge of External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. "This is about human security. We want to give particular attention to vulnerable groups: many are women and children, but we have serious concerns about people who have been displaced from their homes, people belonging to ethnic or religious minorities and people with
disabilities. Any sort of discrimination facilitates the dirty work of traffickers. This is why the Commission supports actions in third countries to protect and assist victims and thus help prevent trafficking. Through our policy tools, like the European Neighbourhood Policy and the EU Development Strategy, we will fund measures to address factors that make people vulnerable to trafficking, such as poverty, lack of education, discrimination and lack of access to basic services."
The Communication shall contribute to the quick adoption as well as proper implementation of an action plan of the Council and the Commission in accordance with The Hague Programme on Strengthening Freedom, Security and Justice in the European Union. The Commission aims at further strengthening the commitment of the European Union, and the Member States to prevent and fight against trafficking in human beings, committed for the purpose of sexual or labour exploitation as defined in the
Framework Decision of 19 July 2002 on combating trafficking in human beings, and to the protection, support and rehabilitation of its victims.
The document presented today is based on the recognition that in order to effectively address human trafficking an integrated approach is needed, having as its fundament the respect of human rights and taking into account its global nature. This approach calls for a coordinated policy response notably in the area of freedom, security and justice, external relations, development cooperation, employment, gender equality and non discrimination. It also aims to reinforce the broad public-private
dialogue in this area.
The Communication intends to contribute to the establishment of a plan in 2005 for common standards, best practices and mechanisms to prevent and combat human trafficking. It takes due account of the comprehensive action plan to combat illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings of 2002 and of the reflection and recommendations presented in the Report of December 2004 of the Expert Group on Trafficking in Human Beings that was set up by the Commission end 2003.
Tomorrow,19 October 2005, Vice-President Frattini will present the Communication at the conference "Tackling human trafficking: Policy and best practice in Europe". (Charlemagne Building, Rue de la Loi 170, Brussels - Meeting Room S3 - 09.30).This conference is organised jointly with the UK Council Presidency and Sweden as chair of the Nordic Baltic Taskforce against Trafficking in Human Beings.
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