On Thursday 5 October, the European Parliament’s Committees on Civil Liberties (LIBE) and on Women’s Rights (FEMM) adopted their position on the new directive on trafficking in human beings, which affects at least 7,000 people a year in the EU, according to a European Parliament press release.
The new proposals would give EU law enforcement new tools to dismantle criminal organisations by adding new categories of crime, including forced marriage and illegal adoption, to the existing EU framework, and by improving reporting and statistics to create a better understanding of trafficking-related crimes.
MEPs also wish to include within the scope of the law surrogate motherhood for the purposes of reproductive exploitation and the exploitation of children in residential institutions. The draft position was adopted by 69 votes in favour, 22 against and 0 abstentions. The negotiations with the EU Council were approved by 86 votes in favour, 0 against and 4 abstentions. MEPs asked the Council to: - ensure that victims of trafficking who are also in need of international protection receive appropriate support and protection and that their right to asylum is respected; - criminalise the use of services provided by a victim of a human trafficking offence; - introduce sanctions for companies found guilty of trafficking, including excluding them from tendering procedures and from the reimbursement of public aid or subsidies; - ensure that victims are not prosecuted for criminal acts they were forced to commit.
The EU Council adopted its mandate in June and also included the crimes of forced marriages and illegal adoptions (see EUROPE 13198/6).
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/8x4 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)