Justice Commissioner Anita Gradin has called on EU governments

Date: 13/06/1996

to step up the battle against trafficking in women. A conference in Vienna heard that thousands of women from Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia were being lured to Europe with the promise of jobs, only to be caught up in prostitution and pornography. Gradin pledged a plan of action to deal with the problem as a first step towards an EU-level response, but could not give a firm timetable. The EU believes there are up to 500,000 women working outside their own countries in the sex industry.