Friday, June 09, 2017

DID YOU KNOW?

The European Commission is continually developing ways to fight human trafficking.

EDC News: EU fighting Human Trafficking

Human trafficking a hideous crime and a gross violation of human rights. It is the trade of humans mainly for the purpose of sexual slavery or commercial sexual exploitation, forced labour, or for extraction of organs or tissues. In Europe alone, between 2010 and 2012, 30 146 victims were registered in the 28 EU Member States (Eurostat 2015), conversely, this is a major problem globally.

Trafficking in human beings is explicitly forbidden by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (Article 5). Thereby, to address this problem, the EU established a comprehensive legal and policy framework using a human rights based, victims centred, gender specific and child sensitive approach. These include:

  • Directive 2011/36/EU - EU preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA (related: COM/2010/95;COM/2009/136)

  • EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings (2012-2016) - expands on issues identified in the. It focuses on prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships, also on ways to increase knowledge on emerging concerns related to human trafficking.

  • Directive 2011/92/EU - Combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (related: COM_2007_716 final; 2000/375/JHA - Council Decision of 29 May 2000 to combat child pornography on the Internet)

  • 2008/841/JHA - Council Framework of 24 October 2008 on the fight against organised crime, including closer cooperation between the EU Member States in order to counter the dangers and proliferation of criminal organisations.

For more information: