BETA

Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage



2015/2340(INI) Fight against trafficking in human beings in the EU's external relations
RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead AFET LOCHBIHLER Barbara (Verts/ALE) COMODINI CACHIA Therese (EPP), CRISTEA Andi (S&D), BASHIR Amjad (ECR), WEBER Renate (ALDE), CORRAO Ignazio (EFD)
Opinion ENVI MIKOLÁŠIK Miroslav (EPP)
Opinion FEMM BEARDER Catherine (ALDE)
Opinion LIBE VALERO Bodil (Verts/ALE)
Lead committee dossier: AFET/8/05289
Legal Basis RoP 052

Activites

  • 2016/07/05 Vote in plenary scheduled
  • 2016/07/04 Debate in plenary scheduled
  • 2016/06/13 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
    • A8-0205/2016 summary
  • 2016/05/24 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • 2015/12/17 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading

Documents

  • Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0205/2016
AmendmentsDossier
427 2015/2340(INI)
2016/02/26 ENVI 89 amendments...
source: 578.469
2016/03/14 AFET 215 amendments...
source: 578.689
2016/03/30 FEMM 28 amendments...
source: 580.485
2016/04/06 LIBE 95 amendments...
source: 580.575

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

activities/3/docs
  • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20160704&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament
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  • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2016-0300 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T8-0300/2016
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  • The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Barbara LOCHBIHLER (Greens/EFA, DE) on the fight against trafficking in human beings in the EU’s external relations. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs as well as the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, exercising their prerogatives as associated committees in accordance with Article 54 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave their opinions on the report.

    Members recalled that, according to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (2014) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 70 % of the total number of detected victims are women and girls; women represent 79 % of the detected victims of sexual exploitation, and men represent 83 % of detected victims of forced labour.

    Furthermore, more than 10 000 unaccompanied refugee and migrant children have disappeared in Europe according to the press declaration by the Europol Chief of staff. Many among those children have been forced into sex trafficking rings, begging, the illicit and lucrative organ transplant market or the slave trade.

    Global trends in trafficking of human beings: the committee denounced trafficking in human beings, which it considered as a modern kind of slavery, and a serious crime which constitutes one of the worst forms of human rights violations that cannot be accepted in societies that are based on the respect for human rights including gender equality. Trafficking in human beings has to be understood in a holistic manner, focusing not only on sexual exploitation, but also on forced labour, organ trafficking, forced begging, forced marriages, child soldiers and the trafficking of babies.

    Recalling that trafficking in human beings is a transnational crime of global nature, the report stressed the need for a consistent approach to the internal and external dimensions of the EU's policies for combating trafficking.

    It deplored the persistent lack of adequate legislation to criminalise and effectively combat trafficking in human beings in many countries worldwide, as well as the wide gap between the legislation that does exist and implementation thereof, including on the one hand the limited or non-existent access to justice for victims and on the other hand the lack of prosecution of perpetrators.

    Members underscored the critical distinction between the concepts of trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling. While noting that smuggling is also among the activities of criminal networks and organised crime and can lead to a situation of trafficking, they underlined that the two concepts require different legal and practical responses and involve different state obligations.

    Observing that the internet and social networks are increasingly being used by criminal networks to recruit and exploit victims, Members called for enough investment in technology and expertise to combat trafficking. They called on the Commission to: (i) evaluate the use of the internet in the context of human trafficking, particularly as regards online sexual exploitation; (ii) adjust its cooperation with third countries to take into consideration the new development of trafficking via the internet.

    The economy of trafficking in human beings: the report denounced the fact that trafficking in human beings is a highly lucrative business and that the proceeds from this criminal activity are largely re-injected into the global economy and financial system. It called for a stronger focus on money laundering activities, and for the EU to reinforce cooperation, with third countries to locate and confiscate the proceeds from those criminal activities. Confiscated assets should be used to support and compensate victims of trafficking. Furthermore, governments must make greater efforts to fight against corruption, which contributes to human trafficking.

    Different forms of exploitation: in this regard, Members called on the Union and its Member States to:

    • make the necessary efforts to combat forced labour in EU industries abroad, and in relation to third countries, by applying and enforcing labour standards and supporting governments in adopting labour laws providing minimum protection standards for workers;
    • give more support to charitable organisations offering access to psychological care to victims of forced prostitution;
    • consider forced marriage as a form of trafficking in human beings if it contains an element of exploitation of the victim, and include this dimension in their definition of trafficking;
    • prevent and adopt a multi-sector, multi-disciplinary approach in addressing illicit human organ procurement, including human trafficking for organ removal, which has developed into a global problem.

    The report condemned the practice of trafficking in human beings for forced surrogacy as a violation of the woman’s rights and the rights of the child. It insisted that children who are victims of trafficking in human beings be identified as such and their best interests, rights and needs be considered paramount at all times.

    Victims’ rights: Members called on the EU and the Member States to have a human rights-based and victim-centred approach and to place victims and vulnerable populations at the centre of all efforts in the fight against trafficking in human beings, its prevention and the protection of victims. They called on the Member States, including countries of origin, transit and destination, to provide or facilitate access to remedies that are fair, adequate and appropriate to all trafficked persons within their respective territories and subject to their respective jurisdictions, including non-citizens.

    Victims of trafficking must have the right to an effective remedy, including access to justice, recognition of legal identity and citizenship, return of property, adequate reparation as well as medical and psychological care, legal and social services, and long-term (re) integration support, including economic support.

    Cooperation at regional and international level: the report called for enhanced coordination and cooperation and the systematic exchange of information to investigate and combat transnational trafficking in human beings, stepping up financial and technical assistance and strengthening cross-border communication, cooperation and capacity building at government and law enforcement level, including border guards, immigration and asylum officials, criminal investigators and victim support agencies, civil society and UN agencies, including on how to identify and protect victims. Members insisted on the need for the EU to enhance police and judicial cooperation between Member States and with third countries – in particular with countries of origin and transit of victims of trafficking in human beings – in the prevention, investigation and prosecution of trafficking in human beings, via Europol and Eurojust. They also called for the establishment of cross-border labour migration mechanisms in the EU and at international level in order to increase and formalise regular labour migration. They called on the EU to develop a regional approach, concentrating on the ‘trafficking routes’ and offering responses which are adapted to the type of exploitation in the different regions.

    EU policy on trafficking in human beings in its external action: Members considered it essential that strategies aimed at the prevention of trafficking in human beings address the facilitating factors and the underlining causes and circumstances behind this phenomenon.

    They asked the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator to: (i) further develop concrete joint action and measures among the EU, the Member States, third countries and international actors so as to set up a more coherent and efficient cooperation in establishing systems that identify, protect and assist victims of trafficking, (ii) step up the prevention of trafficking in human beings, seek increased prosecution of traffickers and (iii) establish a network capable of responding to emerging concerns.

    Members also called on EU representatives to pay particular attention to trafficking in human beings in the EU's political dialogue with third countries, and also through its cooperation programmes and within multilateral and regional fora.

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  • body: EP shadows: group: ECR name: BASHIR Amjad responsible: True committee: AFET date: 2015-01-26T00:00:00 committee_full: Foreign Affairs (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: LOCHBIHLER Barbara
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: ENVI date: 2015-05-28T00:00:00 committee_full: Environment, Public Health and Food Safety rapporteur: group: EPP name: MIKOLÁŠIK Miroslav
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: FEMM date: 2015-06-16T00:00:00 committee_full: Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: ALDE name: BEARDER Catherine
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: LIBE date: 2015-07-02T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: VALERO Bodil
activities/1/date
Old
2015-12-17T00:00:00
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2016-05-23T00:00:00
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Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
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committees/0/shadows/0
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EPP
name
COMODINI CACHIA Therese
committees/0/shadows/1
group
S&D
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CRISTEA Andi
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group
ALDE
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WEBER Renate
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EFD
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CORRAO Ignazio
activities/0/committees/0/date
2015-01-26T00:00:00
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  • group: Verts/ALE name: LOCHBIHLER Barbara
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2016-06-06T00:00:00
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  • group: Verts/ALE name: LOCHBIHLER Barbara
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  • group: ECR name: BASHIR Amjad
committees/0/shadows
  • group: ECR name: BASHIR Amjad
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EC
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commissioner
TIMMERMANS Frans
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2015-12-17T00:00:00
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EP
type
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
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AFET/8/05289
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Old
Preparatory phase in Parliament
New
Awaiting committee decision
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    • body: EP responsible: True committee_full: Foreign Affairs (Associated committee) committee: AFET
    • body: EP responsible: False committee: ENVI date: 2015-05-28T00:00:00 committee_full: Environment, Public Health and Food Safety rapporteur: group: EPP name: MIKOLÁŠIK Miroslav
    • body: EP responsible: False committee: FEMM date: 2015-06-16T00:00:00 committee_full: Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: ALDE name: BEARDER Catherine
    • body: EP responsible: False committee: LIBE date: 2015-07-02T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (Associated committee) rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: VALERO Bodil
    links
    other
      procedure
      reference
      2015/2340(INI)
      title
      Fight against trafficking in human beings in the EU's external relations
      legal_basis
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 052
      stage_reached
      Preparatory phase in Parliament
      subtype
      Initiative
      type
      INI - Own-initiative procedure
      subject