Activities of Loránt VINCZE related to 2020/2029(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Implementation of the Anti-Trafficking Directive (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the implementation of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims
Amendments (87)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
- having regard to Directive 2011/93/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21
Citation 21
— having regard to the Commission staff working document of 17 October 2014 entitled ‘Mid-term report on the implementation of the EU strategy towards the eradication of trafficking in human beings’ (SWD(2014)0318) and to the first (COM(2016)0267)), second (COM(2018)0777) and third COM(2020) 661 progress reports thereon,
Amendment 20 #
- having regard to the Commission’s 2020 study on the economic, social and human cost of human trafficking and its 2020 Study on reviewing the functioning of Member States’ National and Transnational Referral Mechanisms,
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission’s study of 2016 on the gender dimension of trafficking in human beings;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 b (new)
Citation 21 b (new)
- having regard to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals 5.2 for eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, including for sexual exploitation
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 a (new)
Citation 29 a (new)
- having regard to the Europol report 'The challenges of countering human trafficking in the digital era',
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 b (new)
Citation 29 b (new)
- having regard to Europol's 2017 Serious and organised crime threat assessment (SOCTA),
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 c (new)
Citation 29 c (new)
- having regard to the 4th annual report of the European Migrant Smuggling Centre of Europol (2020),
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 d (new)
Citation 29 d (new)
- having regard to the 2018 Joint Statement of Commitment to working together against trafficking in human beings signed by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA), European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE),
Amendment 35 #
- having regard to the Report of the Agency on Fundamental Rights of the EU entitled 'Severe labour exploitation: workers moving within or into the European Union',
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas trafficking in human beings (THB) constitutes modern-day slavery and is a profound violation of fundamental rights, as outlined in Article 5(3) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the number of registered victims of THB has grown in the Commission's last study period (2017 and 2018) compared to the previous one; whereas, the actual number of victims is most likely considerably higher than reported data, as many victims remain undetected1a; _________________ 1aThe European Commission's Third report on the progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings (2020) as required under Article 20 of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas according to the Commission1a nearly three quarters of all victims in 2017 and 2018 in the EU were female (women and girls), who were predominantly trafficked for sexual exploitation; whereas children account for a considerable number of victims of THB; _________________ 1ahttps://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/eu- policy/third-report-progress-made-fight- against-trafficking-human-beings_en
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas severe labour exploitation occurs in many economic sectors in the EU and affects diverse groups of cross- border workers, both EU and non-EU citizens; whereas, as recommended by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights1a, such practices should be addressed among others through a comprehensive system of targeted inspections of working conditions; _________________ 1aSevere labour exploitation: workers moving within or into the European Union http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2015/s evere-labour-exploitation-workers- moving-within-or-european-union
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas Europol warns that the impact of the pandemic could further increase the numbers of victims and decrease the likelihood for traffickers to be detected by law enforcement and that an economic recession in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis could also result in dangerous consequences in the area of THB1a; _________________ 1a https://www.europol.europa.eu/publicatio ns-documents/challenges-of-countering- human-trafficking-in-digital-era
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas according to Europol1a the use of digital technologies has broadened criminals’ ability to traffic human beings for different types of exploitation, including sexual and labour exploitation, the removal of organs, illegal adoption of children and forced marriages; whereas new technologies are exploited by traffickers during every phase of sexual exploitation, from the recruitment and advertisement of victims, to blackmailing them with photos and videos and controlling their movements; whereas these new tools offer increased anonymity for traffickers and pose difficulties for law enforcement to detect them; _________________ 1a https://www.europol.europa.eu/publicatio ns-documents/challenges-of-countering- human-trafficking-in-digital-era
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
Af. whereas THB is a highly international and cross-border crime, posing challenges with regard to detection, investigation, evidence collection, jurisdiction, extradition and mutual legal assistance;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A g (new)
Recital A g (new)
Ag. whereas the effective detection of THB victims continues to be a challenge in most Member States owing to various reasons, such as lack of language abilities of victims in a foreign environment and their reluctance to report to police or limited law enforcement capacities; whereas the identification of child victims is often made more challenging because they do not understand they are victims;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Commends the good work done by the former EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator (EU ATC) in coordinating the EU’s response to THB and developing knowledge and findings on the various aspects of THB, including research into the gender dimension and the particular vulnerability of children;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on Member States to provide for the stable funding and adequate staff needed to detect the victims first line and to ensure consistent financing for all NRM activities;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the importance of the funding ofsignificant role EU funds play in financing various aspects of the fight against human trafficking; Stresses the importance of the funding through the Daphne Fund, the European Social Fund +, the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and Internal Security Fund (ISF) programmes to continue to be used for projects tackling THB, as well as using other available instruments;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Deplores that data on trafficking in human beings is not being systematically collected and publicly shared on a regular basis; Highlights that the lack of consistent and detailed data continues to hamper the adequate assessment of the scale and trends in THB; calls on the Member States to improve the collection of more up-to-date data disaggregated by type of trafficking, age and gender and including internally trafficked people, by compiling statistical information in cooperation with civil society;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights that the lack of consistent and detailed data continues to hamper thedata collection can still improve to adequately assessment of trends in THB; calls on the Member States to collecenhance data collection aiming at more up-to-date data disaggregated by age and gender and including internally trafficked people, by compiling statistical information in cooperation with civil societyinstitutional actors involved, civil society organisations, as well as with the contribution of the European Institute for Gender Equality(EIGE), including trafficking data on the violence surveys;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses in that sense the need to improve reporting of trafficking cases and subsequent data collection and coordination among data sources at Member State and at EU level to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon and its various components
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Asks for more gender-specific measures and child-sensitive policy instruments, training and guidance for stakeholders, actors and authorities in charge, at various stages of the process, such as the identification of victims, the referral and assistance procedures related to victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation,
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor the use of digital technologies for THB as the predominant tools used to recruit trafficking victimempower law enforcement authorities fighting human traffickers so they are able to respond to the new technological challenges in terms of technical knowledge, dedicated human resources, as well as of an improvement in the legislative tools that can be used in judicial proceedings and in the prosecution of traffickers;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls for the update of the existing legislative and policy framework in order to promote information exchange and cooperation between law enforcement authorities and the private sector, including internet service providers and social media companies; calls on the Commission and Member States to regulate third party responsibility for technology companies hosting exploitative materials in order to ensure that their platforms are not being abused for THB purposes;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights that the early identification of victims remains one of the main challenges to implementation, and is one of the most crucial in terms of enabling victims to exercise their rights; calls on the Member States to give more actors responsibility for identifying victims of THB at all stages of the process, including law enforcement officers, civil society representatives, immigration and asylum officials, labour inspectors and social workers or healthcare staff;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on all Member States to ensure that early expert legal intervention and advice is provided to potential victims of THB at the earliest possible moment, including accessible information about their legal rights and options;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on all Member States to effectively guarantee the rights of victims and to support them with a gender- and child sensitive approach while ensuring complementarity with the Victims’ Rights Directive; notes that the Anti-Trafficking Directive prohibits the criminalisation of victims of THB;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on all Member States to strengthen the implementation of the Victims Rights Directive, and victims’ access to justice and support, with a specific focus on the provision aimed at victims of gender based violence;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Highlights that while the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet measureable, it is nevertheless clear that the crisis disproportionately affects the most vulnerable victims of THB, especially women and children; points out that due to the increased use of the Internet, social media and on-line advertisements – it is to be expected that the number of victims of trafficking exploited on-line would rise sharply; calls on the MS for more effective and coherent actions targeting on-line exploitation, with the support of relevant EU agencies, such as Europol;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Highlights that while the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet measureable, it is nevertheless clear that the crisis disproportionately affects the most vulnerable victims of THB, especially women and childrensuch as omen and children, at all stages of the trafficking process: exacerbating risks and vulnerability to trafficking, such as through the shift to the use of technologies and sexual exploitation online, causing delay in identification of victims, hindering and delaying access to justice, assistance and support;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Points out the need for aNotes that all Member States have in place a National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and that a wide range of instruments for transnational cooperation that con-tribute to the referral of victims of THB; points out the challenges in the coordination of different actors, combined with those posed by the limited trust of the victims, both of which negatively affect effective referral; stresses the need for a fully-functioning, coherent and coordinated National Referral Mechanism (NRM); underlines that good cooperation between the police and non- governmental organisations (NGOs) cannot be a substitute for a fully fledged NRM defining the roles and responsibilities of all relevant actors16 ; _________________ 16 The recommendations by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human beings (GRETA) include ensuring the application of the NRM to asylum seekers and persons in immigration detention.
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Points out the need for a coherent and transnationally coordinated National Referral Mechanism (NRM); underlines that good cooperation between the police and non- governmental organisations (NGOs) cannot be a substitute for a fully fledged NRM defining the roles and responsibilities of all relevant actors16 ; _________________ 16 The recommendations by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human beings (GRETA) include ensuring the application of the NRM to asylum seekers and persons in immigration detention.
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to monitor and assess the situation of compensation to victims in the Member States in terms of access, enforcement and actual payments, and to come forward with specific measures to ensure better access to compensation;tackle shortcomings.
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Points out that all three Progress Reports of the Commission have pointed out the vulnerability of the Roma communities, especially of women and children to all forms of trafficking and exploitation; points out that the estimated representation of Roma among trafficked persons in a number of countries from Eastern Europe in a study financed through the Daphne III programme1a was several times higher than the proportion of Roma among the general population; calls on the Commission and the Member States to design specific measures fighting trafficking through the national Roma integration strategies for 2020-2030; calls on the Commission and the Member States to collect statistical data on victims of trafficking based on ethnic background; _________________ 1a Breaking the Silence, Report by the European Roma Rights Centre and People in Need file://ep.parl.union.eu/MEP/UserData/04/ ivirag/Desktop/REPORT%20- %20Breaking%20the%20Silence.pdf
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Early identification is important and should duly take into account the specifities of high-risk sectors and groups such as women and girls victims through adequate information, training and expertise for the officials involved.
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Underlines the importance for Member States to additionally stablish mechanisms, assist and support victims, calls therefore for a gender sensitive approach for the minimum standards foreseen in the Directive for support and protection of victims.
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Member States to adopt specific measures to address violence against women and gender inequalities as the root causes of traffickingpart of the fight against trafficking; specially through education, information, and awareness raising campaigns complemented with an exchange of best practices; recommends that the Commission strengthen and develop the gender dimension in the monitoring of the implementation of EU anti-trafficking legislation;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, to examine how the demand for sexual services drives trafficking, as traffickers tend to convey their victims to countries where prostitution is regulated and lawfully practiced, making it much easier for traffickers to use a legal environment in order to exploit their victims17 ; stresses that the use of legal businesses to cover the exploitative activities is quite common for human traffickers; recalls that in some EU Member States where prostitution is legal, suspects were able to exploit children alongside adult victims18 ; _________________ 17Europol, Situation Report ‘Trafficking in Human Beings in the EU’, 18 February 2016. 18Europol, Situation Report ‘Criminal networks involved in the trafficking and exploitation of underage victims in the EU’, 18 October 2018.
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Urges the Member States to focus on the recurring and emerging patterns of THB for sexual exploitation, such as the increasing exploitation of children and the use of the ‘lover boy’ method as the most frequent means of recruiting victims by using online technologies; notes that the increased use of technology by criminal networks engaged in human trafficking has significantly transformed their traditional modus operandi, especially in some stages of the trafficking process;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Urges the Member States to focus on the recurring and emerging patterns of THB for sexual exploitation, such as the increasing exploitation of children and the use of for example, among others, the ‘lover boy’ method as the most frequent means of recruiting victims by using online technologies, through developing online safety skills and cyber literacy, and fight this challenge in cooperation with relevant actors and private sector;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Highlights the importance of gender- and child sensitive training programmes for officials attending victims to enhance the early identification of those who are victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and encourages Member States to adopt measures to support victims, such as exit programmes, social and professional reintegration or sexual health services;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Encourages the Member States that within their sexuality education programmes they include age-appropriate material with the aim of preventing all forms of violence against women and girls, including trafficking and sexual exploitation, and to promote healthy attitudes of respect and equality in all relationship interactions;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2 a (new)
Subheading 2 a (new)
Trafficking for labour exploitation
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Strongly regrets that according to the Third report of the Commission, several Member States and civil society organisations report an increase in trafficking for labour exploitation;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Deplores that Member States also reported that children have also increasingly fallen victim to trafficking for labour exploitation and calls for urgent action by national labour inspectorates to detect and put an end to such practices;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 d (new)
Paragraph 17 d (new)
17d. Calls on the European Labour Authority to address the issue of severe labour exploitation as a matter of priority and to support Member States with capacity building in view of better identifying and sanctioning severe labour exploitation practices through targeted inspections;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2 b (new)
Subheading 2 b (new)
Other forms of exploitation
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 e (new)
Paragraph 17 e (new)
17e. Notes that according to the Third Report of the Commission1a, trafficking for other forms of exploitation accounted for 18% of the victims, involving activities in the area of forced begging, forced criminalities, the selling of babies, organ removal, illegal adoption, financial exploitation through fraud and trafficking in human beings through surrogacy; _________________ 1aThe European Commission's Third report on the progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings (2020) as required under Article 20 of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, COM(2020) 661
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 f (new)
Paragraph 17 f (new)
17f. Points out that many of the victims of forced begging and forced criminality often come from marginalised Roma communities and are often children;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 g (new)
Paragraph 17 g (new)
17g. Is of the opinion that passively ignoring forced begging practices contributes to the maintaining of profit flows for criminal rings and amplifies a phenomenon of exploitation of vulnerable people and children;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 h (new)
Paragraph 17 h (new)
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Emphasises that migration flows can increase the risk for migrants of becoming victimsthe exploitation of migration flows by criminal organisations can increase the risk of trafficking within the EU20 ; points out that there has been a sharp increase in the number of women and girls trafficked through the Central Mediterranean route for sexual exploitation in the EU21 ; _________________ 20Second progress report, COM(2018)0777; Europol, European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC), 4th Annual Report, 2020; Europol, Situation Report ‘Trafficking in Human Beings in the EU‘, 18 February 2016. 21 Second progress report, COM(2018)0777, p. 3.
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Stresses the importance of prevention, and fight against women and children smuggling, through cooperation with third countries either of origin or of transit, together with the protection of the victims of trafficking, ensuring comprehensive support, reintegration and rehabilitation programs;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Reiterates that asylum seekers, refugees and migrants are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and that special attention should be given to the trafficking of women, children and other vulnerable groups; highlights that there are vulnerabilities and risks at the different stages in the migration process prior to migration itself, en route to the EU, at the destination and on return22 ; and provide them with adequate resources and shelters and access to protected and adequately equipped facilities as well as with related help and information services; therefore reiterates the need to improve cross- border collaboration and exchange among law enforcement and child protection authorities as well as developing fast family tracing and alternative care arrangements for unaccompanied minors; _________________ 22 European implementation assessment – ‘Implementation of Directive 2011/36/EU : Migration and gender issues’, Directorate- General for Parliamentary Research, Ex- Post Evaluation Unit, 15 September 2020, p. 50.
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Member States to ensure a coherent application of the provisions set out in the Dublin III Regulation, the Anti-Trafficking Directive and the Residence Permit Directive to prevent the practice employed in some Member States of transferring victims of human trafficking to the country where they were exploited when they first arrived, thereby leaving them more exposed to the risk of being re-trafficked;
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the Member States to provide adequate resources for specialised safe facilities for children and female suspected victims of trafficking;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. NotesGiven that the migration policies of Member States, geared towards fighting irregular migration, can have a ‘chilling effect’ among vulnerable migrants and give perpetrators additionalirregular migrants in the EU represent a large pool of potential victims susceptible to being exploited by traffickers through the leverage to exploit victims with antheir irregular status24 ;, calls on the Member States to decouple migration enforcement actions from law enforcement activitiesstrictly enforce their irregular migration countering actions to prevent such abuses taking place; _________________ 24 Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), Insecure justice? Residence permits for victims of crime in Europe, May 2020.
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Stresses that close cooperation and engagement with third countries is key to preventing human trafficking, and dismantling human trafficking and smuggling criminal organizations;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Calls for increased attention to the emerging trend of exploitative sham marriages predominantly targeting susceptible women from Eastern Europe, who would often be lured with false promises of accommodation or financial support, or of fake long-term job offers1a; Points out that, according to the Third Progress Report of the Commission, such victims are often reported as victims to other forms of trafficking, including sexual exploitation and/or labour exploitation; points out that according to Europol this increase in the number of sham marriages is likely related to the migration crisis and an increase in the number of irregular migrants seeking to transition to legal residence status after failed asylum applications1b; _________________ 1ahttps://www.brusselstimes.com/brussels- behind-the-scenes/130968/the-heartbreak- of-europes-sham-marriages/ 1bEuropol's 2017 Serious and organised crime threat assessment (SOCTA)
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls on the Member States to focus on identifying child victims and helping them to avail themselves of their rights; emphasises the need for guardians, including temporary guardians as an emergency measure, to be appointed immediately for child victims;unaccompanied child victims, and stresses the importance of a child friendly justice and specialist services,
Amendment 386 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls on the Member States to fully implement Directive 2011/93/EU on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography26 , and to reinforce police and judicial cooperation to prevent and combat sexual exploitation at the EU level; calls MS to cooperate with EU agencies, in particular with Europol and its dedicated entities, EMSC and EC3, and Eurojust to step up information exchange and support and cross border investigations; _________________ 26 OJ L 335, 17.12.2011, p. 1.
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Notes the use of new means such as the Internet and social media to recruit and attract potential victims and draws attention to child pornography, calling on special attention to the Internet platforms to develop adequate tools; calls for the new Digital Services Act to address this use of cyberviolence technologies.
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. Calls therefore the competent authorities to consider the use of large- scale IT systems, including the Visa Information System, the Schengen Information System (SIS II) and Eurodac for prevention investigation and/or prosecution of serious crime including cases of trafficking in human beings.
Amendment 410 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 c (new)
Paragraph 28 c (new)
28c. Notes that the traffickers have frequently used reception centres to identify potential victims and to arrange for them to be transported to places of exploitation, therefore the relevant public authorities and other competent actors in the Member States must be particularly vigilant and monitor and safeguard these centres, carrying out exhaustive surveillance especially on the most vulnerable, such as children.
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5
Subheading 5
Efficiency of criminal justice systems and criminalisation of the use of services of victims
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Amendment 413 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes the low number of prosecutions and convictions for the crime of trafficking; urges the Member States to take measures to improve the investigation of trafficking cases and to put in place strong criminal sanctions for crimes of human trafficking; highlights that special attention should be paid to under-reported and under-investigated areas, especially seasonal and temporary nature employment in the low-skilled and low- paid sectors, such as, labour exploitation in the agricultural sector;
Amendment 433 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Member States to adopt clear provisions on the non- prosecution or non-punishment of THB victims and on decoupling protection from cooperation with law enforcement agencies;, to counter impunity through a coordinated approach between the relevant EU agencies in partnership with Member States, EU institutions and other partners, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of investigations and prosecutions.
Amendment 434 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Member States to adopt clear provisions on the non- prosecution or non-punishment of THB victims and on decoupling protection from cooperation with law enforcement agencies;
Amendment 447 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32b. Recalls that training of practitioners and officials is crucial to early identify potential victims and prevent crime; calls therefore on the Member States to fully apply art. 18.3 of the Directive 2011/36/EU and to share best practices in particular when creating gender-sensitive training programmes for persons coming in contact with victims of THB in an official capacity, including police officers, border officers, judges, magistrates, lawyers, front-line medical staff and social workers; stresses that training should include detection of victims, the formal identification process and appropriate, gender-specific assistance for victims.
Amendment 448 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Is of the opinion that given the predominantly international nature of THB crimes, law enforcement and prosecution must be capable to act efficiently at the same level; calls therefore on the effective use of European platforms run by agencies such as Europol and Eurojust in terms of jurisdiction selection, evidence collection, extradition, and mutual legal assistance;
Amendment 452 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recalls the role of EU agencies in the early identification of victims and the fight against THB; calls for more resources for the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Agencies to enable their staff to be trained and capacity-building instruments to be developed in the area of detecting victims, including the appointment of gender- trained agency officers, especially in the Member States faced with increased mixed migratory flowstrafficking; calls on the Commission to develop guidelines to mainstream gender expertise in the activities of law enforcement authorities across the EU; calls in that regard, for the Member States to increase cross-border cooperation and collaboration with the relevant EU agencies such as Eurojust, Europol, GRA, Frontex, CEPLO and the EASO.
Amendment 454 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recalls the role of EU agencies in the early identification of victims and the fight against THB; calls for more resources for the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Agencies to enable their staff to be trained and capacity-building instruments to be developed in the area of detecting victims, including the appointment of gender- trained agency officers, especially in the Member States faced with increased mixed migratory flows; calls on the Commission to develop guidelines to mainstream gender expertise in the activities of law enforcement authorities across the EUagency officers trained in gender and child sensitive approaches;
Amendment 458 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Points out the vital role Eurojust plays in the cooperation and coordination of complex investigations and prosecutions among judicial authorities in Member States, including through the European Arrest Warrant and the European Investigation Order as well as through the use of Joint Investigative Teams; encourages national authorities to involve the agency in all cross-border trafficking cases in view of protecting all victims, and of prosecuting and dismantling the whole trafficking chain; calls for adequate resources for the agency to fulfil its duties; calls on the Member States to ensure more and timely referrals of THB cases to Eurojust in order to enhance the coordination of judicial investigations and prosecutions between Member States and with Third countries; encourages the increased use of Joint Investigation Teams with the support of Eurojust and Europol, as this judicial cooperation tool has proven to be particularly effective in the fight against THB;
Amendment 462 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
33b. Calls on CEPOL to provide international training for investigators in order to ensure standardised approaches and transnational interoperability;
Amendment 463 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 c (new)
Paragraph 33 c (new)
33c. Welcomes the conclusion by JHA agencies of the Joint Statement of Commitment to working together against trafficking in human beings; Calls on these agencies to further coordinate their efforts and share their knowledge in the area of the fight against THB;
Amendment 464 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 a (new)
Subheading 7 a (new)
Stresses the importance of the EU as well as international cooperation to eradicate trafficking through the synergy of various existing internal and external policies such as the Global Strategy for the EU Foreign and Security Policy, the Action Plan of Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024, the Joint Communication "Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa", the EU Western Balkans strategy and the European neighbourhood policy as well as through relevant information campaigns in the countries involved and calls on the Commission to take this into account in its upcoming Gender Action Plan III;
Amendment 472 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the Commission to amend the Anti-Trafficking Directive with a view to updating its provisions, including the establishment of specific measures for the prevention and prosecution of trafficking for sexual exploitation as the largest area of THB, to address the use of online technologies in both the proliferation and the prevention of THB, to improve measures for prevention and the early identification of victims, and to strengthen a horizontal gender and child sensitive perspective across all forms of trafficking, as well as to ensure that Member States explicitly criminalise the knowing use of all services which involve exploitationprovided by victims of trafficking;
Amendment 478 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address as well new other forms of trafficking mostly involving women and girls (sham marriages/illegal adoptions/organs trafficking/surrogacy);
Amendment 486 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Emphasises the importance of a coherent approach to improve the identification of potential victims in the context of migration flows and in the hotspots, of improving access to asylum procedures and of ensuringand in particular the need to further strengthen their complementarity with the procedures related to trafficking; ordination between asylum authorities, law enforcement and prosecution services; recalls on the Commission to assess the implementation of the Anti-Trafficking Directive and to come forward with proposals to revise itimportance of improving access to asylum procedures and of ensuring their complementarity with the procedures related to trafficking;
Amendment 492 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor and assess the risk for the persons beingtake urgent measures against criminal groups active in migrant smuggling and human trafficking, given the high likelihood of smuggled ofpersons becoming victims of trafficking, with a particular focus on the situation ofand to assess the risk faced by irregular migrants and especially unaccompanied minors and women; underlines, in this context, the need for more legal and safe routes for migraeffective border protection in order to prevent the subsequent exploitation of vulnerable people with irregular statuspeople who illegally cross borders and who are unaware of the risks associated with smuggling;
Amendment 500 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Calls on the Commission and on the Member States to organise information campaigns reaching out to potential victims and informing them about assistance, protection and rights across all EU countries and to closely cooperate on awareness-raising campaigns with those third countries which are the main external sources of trafficking in the EU;
Amendment 503 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Calls on the Commission to include in the new strategy on trafficking in human beings clear steps as regards the appointment of the EU ATCensure the continuity of the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator’s work by appointing a full- time EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator;