Brussels, 01/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - Following the agreement reached on Friday on combating trafficking in human beings (see EUROPE of 29 September, p.8), the Fifteen debated this issue, which is increasingly on the increase, with their counter parts from the countries candidates for accession. The fight against the increase in this trafficking, organised crime and organised cross-border delinquency, the need to step-up controls at the EU's external borders and the important role the applicant countries will have to play here and aid to victims were at the centre of the debate between the EU and candidate countries.
According to a Europol report, trafficking in human beings has greatly increased over the past few years and, financially-speaking is more profitable than drug trafficking. The report denounces great demand on the part of EU countries, be it a question of sexual exploitation of illegal work, and candidate countries, which are being increasingly used as transit countries. Regarding employment, the sectors most affected are those of textiles, building and farming. "EU governments cannot tackle this problem alone. There needs to be join action with the assistance of candidate countries to put an end to the trafficking in human beings", commented Commissioner Antonio Vitorino. "To do so, we must use at best the Community Phare and Stop programmes and grant the greatest priority to there assistance and protection f the victims of this trafficking", he added, noting that "60% of the funds of the Phare programme are allocated to the JHA for training border control officers, their equipment and to improve the quality of controls". Mr. Vitorino announced some Commission measures: presentation by the end of the year of a communication on short-term residency permits for these victims; organisation on 30 October of European Forum on the Prevention of organised crime and the trafficking in human beings, in which candidate countries will take part; publication of a communication on the prevention and fight against illegal immigration followed by a Green Paper on the policy for the return of the victims to their countries, and communication on border controls of neighbouring countries (third countries). The Commission also placed emphasis on the need to "grant priority to the quality of visas and passports, given that document falsification techniques are increasingly sophisticated".
So as to intensify the fight against the trafficking in human beings, Belgian Home affairs Minister Antoine Duquesne represented twelve measures, which are "our joint conclusions, a genuine political commitment (…) and a very important message for our fellow citizens". Stressing action need taking at prevention, repression and assistance to victims levels, Antoine Dusquesne explained: "We want: a comprehensive and integrated approach, a strategic analysis on the phenomenon (…) active operational co-operation in the fight against corruption, prevention campaigns, development of aid to victims, the strengthening of the partnership with civil society and international organisations, improvement of the material and equipment and services, greater fight against false documents, including at consular level". For Commissioner Vitorino, "these twelve measures proposed by the Belgian Presidency are a good step in the right direction".
Applicant countries: immediate integration in European structures
Demonstrating the efforts they have already made at national level in view of their membership to the European Union, the representatives of the candidate countries placed emphasis on: - the priority of national security and the fight against cross-border juvenile delinquency (Romania; Estonia); - greater co-operation with Europol (Slovakia); - establishment of a forum of aid for victims (Cyprus); - information campaigns on trafficking in migrants and assistance to victims, as well as stricter border controls (Turkey, Estonia); - the need to integrate today already applicant countries in European structures; - Europol, European judicial network, and Eurojust (Czech Republic) and even in the Community Daphne and Stop programmes (Poland); - creation of a centre like the Baltic Sea Task Force on Organised Crime, for the remainder of the Mediterranean, with the aim of reinforcing and protecting EU borders in the future (Malta, Estonia). Regarding this, Commissioner Vitorino stressed that the "link between the EU and the Mediterranean will be a priority of the Spanish Presidency of the EU in 2002, which has the firm intention of rekindling the Barcelona process"; - obligation to have an early warning system as the one set up by the EU and which works extremely well regarding information exchange (Latvia); - the establishment of a harmonised criminal system to combat corruption, and especially he corruption of officials (Slovenia, Hungary); - the setting up of a witness protection system so that they may co-operate with the police (Hungary).
Vitorino: priority to passport and visa quality - Duquesne: no fortress Europe
Concluding the work, Commissioner Antonio Vitorino insisted on improving the implementation of the Schengen agreement. "There is a serious problem concerning the forging of documents. Priority must therefore be given to combating the trade in human beings, to the quality of visas and passports and to the sharing of information in this connection". The Commissioner insisted on the fact that "the control of external borders will be under the responsibility of the current candidate states. We must therefore improve solidarity with joint teams from EU Member States and candidate countries on the ground". He announced that the Commission was, in coming months, to present a common management system at external borders. Antoine Duquesne, who recalled that enlargement causes "major concern among our fellow citizens with regard to security", concluded: "accession is not a free gift. You want to be full partners and, as such, you have rights and obligations. We do not want a fortress Europe".