Brussels, 20/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - A conference on "Trafficking in persons: Towards a common legal framework in the EU?" is to be held in Trier, Germany, on 21 and 22 October, by the Academy of European Law (ERA). An ERA press release states that each year, up to 500,000 men, women and children are victims of trafficking in Europe, and that many of them are "forced into prostitution, or modern forms of slavery". The press release notes that at the conference, Patsy Sörensen, president of the Antwerp-based NGO "Payoke" and former MEP, will speak out against the networks which organise the trade, claiming that "whilst human traffickers enjoy the full benefits of globalisation, the judiciary remains hopelessly caught behind its own national boundaries". ERA points out that although the EU adopted a framework decision in July 2002 establishing common standards to prosecute human traffickers and to guarantee that "they will not find sanctuary in another country", many Member States failed to respect the deadline of 1 August 2004 to transpose the decision into national law. (To subscribe: Ute Beissel. Tel 00 49 651 937 3731, or email ubeissel@era.int).