EU urged to halt sex-slave trade

By David Cronin

Date: 12/01/06

EU member states are being urged by MEPs to make greater efforts to combat the trafficking of women for use in the sex trade.

In a report to be approved by the Parliament next week (16-19 January), MEPs are urging the speedy adoption of measures to give the right to remain on Union territory to those brought into the EU and enslaved in the sex trade.

Belgium and Italy are the only two countries in the EU which so far grant prostitutes such rights. But member states are supposed to put into effect by August an EU law that would allow residence permits to be given to those who are victims of trafficking and co-operate with the legal authorities.

The Austrian Socialist MEP Christa Prets, who has drafted the Parliament's report, is arguing that if the other 23 member states followed the example of Belgium and Italy, it would encourage victims to help secure the conviction of traffickers.

She is recommending the creation of a 'reintegration fund' so that victims of trafficking can be helped to return to their home country when they feel ready.

Prets' report argues that one of the "principal preconditions" for international trafficking in women and children is the existence of local prostitution markets.

She said that there could be a link between the high demand for prostitution in the Netherlands, where it is decriminalised, and the level of trafficking into that country. But she said she was not in favour of legal penalties for clients of prostitutes.

"We have to tackle this with open eyes and realistic rules," said Prets. "It is not realistic to believe that if prostitution is forbidden, then you don't have trafficking."

The Austrian government is making measures to combat the trafficking of women a "key point" for its six-month stint holding the EU presidency. A spokesman for the interior ministry said that Vienna was particularly concerned about reports that Bulgaria and Romania could be source countries for trafficked women. According to the spokesman, Austria "couldn't accept" membership of the EU for the two neighbouring countries unless they took concrete steps to combat trafficking.

Prets' report echoes criticisms of EU member states made in a Commission paper on human trafficking published late last year. The Commission said that while the European police co-operation office Europol had a role in co-ordinating activities against human trafficking, little information on relevant matters had been passed onto it by national authorities from EU countries.

A Europol source said that Europol officers working on human trafficking made operational training visits to 18 different countries both inside and outside the EU during 2005.

Article anticipates the discussion at the European Parliament's plenary session, 16-19 January 2006, of a report drafted by Austrian Socialist MEP Christa Prets, on efforts in the fight against international trafficking in women and children.