67 Amendments of Christine SCHNEIDER related to 2022/2139(INI)
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
— having regard to the Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas different regulatory measures in the Member States concerning prostitution have different effects on gender equality;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas Member States should ensure that when an offence is committed with the intention of earning profit or gain or that an offence actually brought profit or gain from the prostitution of another person (i.e. profiting from human trafficking) that this profit is considered to be an aggravating circumstance;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas in Member States the ban of prostituted persons under 21 years of age, pregnant women and women working in the streets should be considered as a basic concept within a European framework and thereby respected and applied in all Member States;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas street-based prostitution represents an environment which is devoid of humane conditions for women;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas ensuring the physical integrity of all and guaranteeing equality and respect for women’s rights must be at the heart of Member State and EU policies in relation to prostitution;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas there are strong links between forced and sometimes non-forced prostitution and organised crime such as human trafficking;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
F b. whereas a holistic approach is needed to protect women in prostitution and put an end to the impunity of perpetrators;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
F c. whereas the most common and widespread form of human trafficking in the EU is that for the purpose of sexual exploitation; whereas 60% of victims of human trafficking in the EU are trafficked for sexual exploitation;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F d (new)
Recital F d (new)
F d. whereas there is an asymmetry between national prostitution legislation within the EU (with countries where prostitution is legal and countries where it is illegal and where the demand for prostitution is criminalised);
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas numerous factors cause people to enter prostitution, including poverty, social exclusion, drug-addiction and a migration background;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas we should take advantage of the opportunities offered by the free market economy, which promotes healthy competition and creates high growth and innovation, and in turn offers high- quality jobs as a viable option for those who want to leave;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. whereas Ireland and New Zealand have similar populations but the amount of prostitutes working in Ireland is 5-8 times lower due to the introduction of the Nordic model;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas prostitution has cross- border implications and affects women’s rights and gender equality; whereas in cross-border regions the systems should be coordinated to avoid hot spots in border regions; whereas the disparity of legislation on prostitution in the EU benefits traffickers and organised crime networks; whereas all Member States have a legal obligation to discourage and end human trafficking and organised crime;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas Europol reports establish that where prostitution is legal, trafficking in human beings and violence perpetrated against its victims and prostituted persons increases tenfold as perpetrators can hide behind legal structures, whereas the Nordic model is not a fix-all solution to reduce demand, sex trafficking, violence or exploitation;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
H b. whereas the fight against prostitution and trafficking can only be effective at saving women and girls when an approach which protects its victims and tackles the demand for prostitution is applied;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)
Recital H c (new)
H c. whereas Member States should promote prevention and rehabilitation programmes and broad, in-depth educational programmes against human trafficking and forced prostitution both in schools and in wider society and especially in the prostitute’s countr(ies) of origin; these programmes should include safe accommodation and secure care, adequate medical attention, psychological help (trauma therapy), education/training opportunities, support for reintegration into the wider economy, specialised help for women with addictions and specialised help for women with children;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H d (new)
Recital H d (new)
H d. whereas adolescents should receive thorough education concerning the methods employed by pimps to initiate interactions so that they are more alert, vigilant and better informed about the Loverboy tactics, online contact initiation and subsequent entrapment;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H e (new)
Recital H e (new)
H e. whereas prostitution is increasingly shifting into the virtual space, regardless of the legislation in force: whereas this relates not only to the recruitment and initiation “process”, but also to the way in which the sexual act itself takes place; whereas prostitution in the virtual space also has the same harmful effects on prostituted women as in the real world;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H f (new)
Recital H f (new)
H f. whereas Ursula Von Der Leyen has previously stated that prostitution is not a profession like any other and that exit should always be the goal;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H g (new)
Recital H g (new)
H g. whereas according to some studies there is the potential to reduce HIV infections by 33–46% in the next decade if prostitution were to be decriminalised; whereas criminalised sex work leads to lower condom use which leads to higher cases of STIs including but not limited to, Genital Chlamydia, Gonorrhea infections, Pharyngeal and anal STI infections, as well as cases of syphilis infections;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H h (new)
Recital H h (new)
H h. whereas LGBTI prostitutes are subjected to discrimination and criminalisation as both LGBTI people and as prostitutes; whereas there is not equal access to preventative HIV medication, such as PREP and/or PEP drugs across the Union;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H i (new)
Recital H i (new)
H i. whereas the dual identities of LGBTI prostitutes have the potential to further marginalise individuals and render them more vulnerable to increased levels of violence, human rights’ abuses, and decreased access to services and justice;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H j (new)
Recital H j (new)
H j. whereas poverty is the primary driving force behind women becoming prostitutes; whereas drug addiction is used as a means to lure and entrap victims into prostitution;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H k (new)
Recital H k (new)
H k. whereas access to health care services, including contraception is vital for prostitutes to maintain their health; recognises that in some Member States, such as Poland, access to such health care provisions has been severely restricted, causing undue stress and anxiety as well as adverse health effects for those who need it;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that approaches to regulating prostitution vary across the EU and target three key components of this system: prostituted persons, the purchase of sex (i.e. demand), and pimping; stresses that the different laws have different effects on women in prostitution, their rights, women’s rights in general, gender equality, demand, societyal attitudes and neighbouring countries; Member States, as well as the ability for women to reintegrate into society;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Rejects the premise of an overly- simplified ideological battle that polarises the debate into two camps: it is important to evaluate all models with a realistic perspective to see which parts of each model work best; highlights that a simplified binary approach has the potential to overlook the advantages and disadvantages of the respective models which only serves to hinder those involved in prostitution;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets the lack of reliable, accurate and comparable data across countrisome Member States apropos of trafficking, violence within forced prostitution, as well the success(es) of exit programmes;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that consent can only be given freely when there is no power imbalance between the people involved; notes, at the same time, that it can be extremely difficult for people to realise that they are victims, especially when they do not know their rights, and recalls the dynamics of an abusive relationship; underlines in addition that the voice of women should always be listened to and recalls the need for informative, respectful programmes so that women in prostitution are abreast of their rights and obligations;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Underlines that prostitution proved itself far too often to be susceptible to force majures such as the Covid -19 pandemic; highlights that furlough schemes in many Member States did not apply to women in prostitution, recalls the example of the Netherlands which - where the affected woman was registered with the national chamber of commerce - allowed women in prostitution to access necessary financial support;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Sresses that greater awareness is needed to better understand the increasingly shift of prostitution into the virtual space;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines that the European Parliament recognised, in its resolution of 26 February 2014 on sexual exploitation and prostitution and its impact on gender equality, that prostitution and sexual exploitation are violations of human dignity, contravene human rights principles such as gender equality and are therefore contrary to the principles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; recalls that it defined prostitution as a serious form of violence and exploitation in its resolution of 5 July 2022 on women’s poverty in Europe4 ; _________________ 4 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2022)0274.
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Condemns the fact that women in prostitution lack legal security because of their criminalisation, meaning they face the constant threat of police and judicial persecution, are subject to additional vulnerability and stigmatisation that negatively affect their physical and mental health, consequently experience difficulties in contacting support services and lack access to fundamental rights; deplores the fact that, at the same time, abusive and other non-law abiding clients, brothel owners and human traffickers often remain unpunished; calls on the relevant authorities within Member States to increase their efforts to end the impunity for those who commit forced prostitution;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. WelcomesTakes note of the fact that an increasing number of countries are taking up and implementing the Nordic/Equality model; supports the feminist background of this modeloverarching gender- specific objective of this model which seeks to reduce demand and its goal of achieving gender equality, and highlights the model’s positive effects on the rights of people in prostitution andbut that work and research is still needed to ensure that this model is effective in the fight against human trafficking;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that prostitution and trafficking for sexual exploitation only exist because there is a demand for them; recognises that any service based economy works on the concept of supply and demand but that through the promotion of a strong, competitive and free market European economy fewer women will enter prostitution as a last resort to provide for their families;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that the decriminalisation of pimping and of the purchase of sex increases demand, empowers the demand side and normalises sex buying; underlines that the stigmatisation of people, especially women, in prostitution nevertheless persists; notes that only if demand is reduced can the prostitution market shrink and thus the number of those exploited in it;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Stresses that the legalisation of selling sex (as is the case in the Nordic model) is the only way prostitutes can build trust in law enforcement and other help services;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is concerned that the legalisation of prostitution promotes legal structures behind which traffickers can hide; therefore calls on the Member States to ensure that existing legislation and regulations are properly assessed so as to avoid any loopholes which allow criminals to act with impunity;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Draws attention to the recent findings indicating that traffickers are increasingly seeking to exploit victims through 'supposedly voluntary business arrangements', where victims must hand over a share of the earnings in exchange for protection and support; notes that this type of exploitation is particularly common in jurisdictions where prostitution has been legalised1a; _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/STUD/2021/695394/IPOL_STU(20 21)695394_EN.pdf
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is increasing due to high demand; points out that this is particularly visible in countries with a liberal regulatory model, whereas countriesin some Member States such as Ireland that follow approaches like the Nordic/Equality model are no longer big markets for human trafficking for that purpose;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Underlines that the greater the asymmetry between national prostitution legislation within the EU, the more victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation there are; notes that some countries of the Union may attract more trafficking flows for the purposes of sexual exploitation;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that the different approaches to regulation in the EU have different effects and that women in prostitution have different rights and protections in different EU Member States; underlines that, on average, 70 % of the individuals in prostitution in the EU are migrant women and that trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation mostly affects women and girls coming from the east of the European Union;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Recalls that women in the LGB and Transgender communities, including prostitutes themselves must be meaningfully involved and included in the development of national prostitution policies and wider European discussions;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recalls that the prostitution market and its actors operate across borders; Stresses that the divergent rules mean that some EU Member States have more victims of trafficking in human beings than others and that free movement within the EU helps to move people from one market to the next; calls Member States and the Commission to coordinate a pan- European approach and equal standards and possibilities of prosecution for those involved in prosecution;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls on EIGE to put together an analysis of how AI could serve to protect prostitutes from vulnerable and potentially dangerous situations; highlights the need for privacy for all parties when in compliance of the law but underlines as well that when used efficiently AI can both protect peoples’ identities and create a safe, managed place in which women can operate;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Calls on Member States to promote STEM learning so that girls can play an active role in in developing technology for women’s needs;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the different effects of different regulatory measures on men, young people and society as a whole; highlights that there appears to have been a significant and positive shift in attitudes among boys and men in Sweden after the introduction of the Nordic model, whereby women are seen less as objects to satisfy man’s sexual desire but instead as victims of exploitation; whereby this dissuades them from purchasing sex;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the Member States’ obligation to protect women’s rights and physical integrity and promote gender equality, and highlights the EU’s role in doing this within the international community and in creating equal protection and equal rights across Member States; calls on all remaining Member States to ratify the Istanbul convention as soon as possible;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on the Member States to ensure adequate provision of contraception as a means of preventing sexually transmitted infections as well as unwanted pregnancies for prostitutes; calls particularly on the government of Poland to ease the restrictions of contraception, especially emergency contraception;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Stresses the need for exit programmes to facilitate, where possible, women’s access to training, jobs and credit from, for example, women venture capitalists, business angels and investors; underlines the need for women role models, founders and owners of private companies and start-ups to help support former and practicing prostitutes realise their entrepreneurial potential;
Amendment 341 #
20 b. Urges Member States to introduce rehabilitation programmes that include safe accommodation and secure care, medical help, psychological help (trauma therapy), specialised help for women with addictions and specialised help for women with children;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20 c. Calls for adequate protections for LGBTI prostitutes who have reported facing discrimination, humiliation and denial of services from healthcare workers, either based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or any combination of these; recalls that the denial of services based on the grounds of their sexual orientation is a breach of the European charter of fundamental rights; calls for better access to PREP and PEP medication as well as awareness about when and where they are available;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Member States for specific measures to assist women in prostitution with their social and professional reintegration; calls for such exit programmes to work gradually, for women to be supported on their personal paths and for people’s potential to be recognised, with and professional training and further education programmes being adapted to take account of this;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Recalls the highly successful RUPS exit programme in the Netherlands where any prostitute can go to for help, guidance and support irrespective of whether they work in a sex club, via the internet, in the street or in any other way;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)
Paragraph 23 c (new)
23 c. Notes that exit programmes for women seeking to leave prostitution are best able to help women and girls in a free market economy that is high growth and in turn able to provide women and girls with good quality, well-paying jobs that represents a viable alternative to prostitution;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 d (new)
Paragraph 23 d (new)
23 d. Underscores that obstacles to growth in the economy will not deter women and girls from entering prostitution but instead increase it through a lack of opportunities in the wider economy;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 e (new)
Paragraph 23 e (new)
23 e. Calls on the Commission to launch a programme that would engage prostitutes (both former and current) into a training scheme that would help them kick start their own entrepreneurial activity;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls foron Member States to introduce comprehensive psychological, medical and socio- economic support for victims and survivors of prostitution; this support should include freely available health advice, financial support, housing; emphasises that this support should be confidential, and should be designed to protect the anonymity of the victim where requested;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls for a European wide agreement that explicitly forbids prostitution by those under the age of 21, those who are pregnant, as well as a ban on street-based prostitution and other inhumane “working” conditions;
Amendment 380 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls on the European Union to increase employment opportunities for those exiting prostitution, in particular through the European Social Fund +;
Amendment 382 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Recalls the need for informed decisions to be taken before wide sweeping conclusions can be drawn; highlights that while there is no one single Nordic model applied in the same way within the Union, the implementation of the Nordic model continues to take place; underlines that when implementing the Nordic model, Member States should take advantage of best practices employed in other Member States;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Calls on the Commission to improve data collection techniques in order to effectively monitor the levels of prostitution on an individual Member State and Union level;
Amendment 386 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)