On Friday 18 October, Eurojust, the European agency responsible for strengthening judicial cooperation, published a brochure to raise public awareness of the relationship between international surrogacy agreements and potential human trafficking.
These agreements can sometimes lead to the exploitation of surrogate mothers and the sale of children. Organised crime groups take advantage of legislative disparities between EU Member States, where surrogacy is either authorised, prohibited or unregulated.
The revised European directive on combating trafficking in human beings would represent a step forward by identifying exploitation linked to surrogacy as a form of trafficking (see EUROPE 13452/20).
However, practical problems remain, such as judicial cooperation and the classification of offences.
To meet these challenges, Eurojust is proposing a range of solutions: developing international standards to harmonise legislation, strengthening exchanges between legal practitioners and creating joint investigation teams.
The agency is also calling for better communication on the risks of trafficking, in order to better protect surrogate mothers and the children born from these arrangements.
To read the document, go to https://aeur.eu/f/dyg (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)