Brussels, 23/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - In an effort to reduce prostitution, the European Parliament's women's rights committee is seeking ing to make using a prostitute a criminal offence. On Thursday 23 January 2014, the committee voted by 14 votes to 2, with 6 abstentions, to adopt the draft report by Mary Honeyball (S&D, United Kingdom), based on the so-called “Nordic” model, which does not punish prostitutes but rather their clients. This model helps to effectively combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation because it regards prostitution as a violation of human rights and a form of violence against women. The rapporteur congratulated her colleagues on reaching a common position on this issue because prostitution is growing and more member states are seeking effective ways of combating it. Her draft report also calls on member states to tackle the on-going economic and social crisis which can lead people into prostitution. It also calls on national authorities to help prostituted women to find alternative ways to earn money other than prostitution and to put exit programmes in place. This reference to the Nordic model criminalising consumers will be put to the vote at the March plenary in Strasbourg. (MD/transl.fl)