Anti-trafficking directive

Background

The Anti-Trafficking Directive, adopted in 2011, is the fundamental EU legislation addressing trafficking in human beings. It sets minimum rules concerning criminal offences and sanctions, as well as provisions on protecting victims. However, the Directive leaves the final decision on criminalising the knowing use of services provided by trafficked persons to the Member States. This has led to a diverse legal landscape across the EU, where employers and users face different consequences when they employ or use the bodies, labour and services of trafficked people, which may hamper efforts to reduce demand effectively and across borders. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has welcomed the European Commission's proposed amendments to the Anti-Trafficking Directive, recognising the need for further progress and improvement in the fight against human trafficking and in the protection of victims.

Key points

The EESC:

• highlights the need to strengthen the gender dimension in the content and implementation of the Directive, given that the vast majority of victims are women and girls. More attention should also be paid to vulnerable situations that may facilitate recruitment and exploitation by criminal networks;
• emphasises the importance of protecting victims and ensuring their social inclusion, calling on Member States to provide support and assistance, particularly for those from vulnerable groups. The Directive should avoid punishing victims of trafficking and instead focus on strengthening mechanisms and tools to assist and support them;
• calls on the European Commission to include in its proposal for a directive the need to comply with Directive 2004/81/EC on the residence permit issued to third-country nationals who are victims of trafficking or who have been subject to actions that facilitate irregular immigration and cooperate with the competent authorities.

The text of the draft opinion can be found here.

Background information

Section: Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC)

Opinion type: Optional

Rapporteur:  José Antonio MORENO DÍAZ

Co-rapporteur:  Pietro Vittorio BARBIERI 

Referral: COM(2022) 732 final 2022/0426 COD COM(2022) 736 final

Date of adoption by section: 3/04/2023

Result of the section vote: 72 in favour, 0 against, and 0 abstentions

Date of adoption in plenary: 26-27/04/2023

Results of the vote:125 in favour, 1 against, and 1 abstention

Contacts

Giorgia Battiato (Press Officer)
Tel.: + 32 2 546 9449 | Mob: +32 475 999 431
email: giorgia.battiato@eesc.europa.eu

Gemma Amran (Administrator)
Tel.: +32 2 546 9415
email: Gemma.Amran@eesc.europa.eu