Brussels, 28/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Women's Lobby (EWL) has welcomed the initiative launched by Thomas Bodstrom, Swedish Justice Minister, during the JHA Council of 21 February to combat sexual exploitation of women during the next Football World Cup in Germany and in general during international sports events. A Task Force comparable to that set up to combat hooliganism should be created for the exchange of information and for close collaboration with national police bodies and the relevant European agencies. The lobby therefore welcomes the decision of the Austrian Presidency to include this problem on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of 27 and 28 April. Commissioner Franco Frattini said he expected Sweden would make a proposal that is both practical and feasible. The Women's Lobby calls for Swedish legislation on prostitution to be taken into consideration by the Council as it “is a model to improve equality of women and men and an effective way to combat trafficking and women's exploitation” (this 1999 law punishes those who buy sexual services but not the prostitutes themselves). German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble suggested introducing a temporary visa system for nationals of some countries.
“The owners of small and mega-brothels and sex industry infrastructures, (…) in Germany are ready to make a maximum of profit during this period with the massive influx of male supporters”, the Women's Lobby states. The arrival of thousands of football supporters should entail a 30% rise in prostitution in some German towns, which corresponds to the arrival of up to 100,000 prostitutes from abroad, NGOs say.
The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality at the European Parliament plans to raise a series of oral questions and to suggest a resolution on forced prostitution during major sports events during the plenary session to be held on 13-16 March in Strasbourg. The resolution will call on the Commission and Member States to launch a vast information and education campaign for the general public and for football supporters. On the occasion of the International Women's Day on 8 March, the parliamentary committee is organising a conference in Brussels in order to attract attention to the problems linked to forced prostitution in the context of major sports events. Participants at the conference will include the vice-president of the European Commission, Margot Wallström, Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs Franco Frattini, the Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Spidla, and the Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism, Jan Figel. Also present will be the senior officials of international sports organisations such as Per Ravn Omdal, UEFA Vice-President, as well as NGO members and experts and media representatives.