Trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation

OBJECTIVE: this document seeks to define a coherent European approach to the trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation and it puts forward its proposals for political debate in the appropriate bodies. At the same time, while taking account of the actions envisaged in the framework of the third pillar it seeks to identify concrete and rapidly achievable proposals. SUBSTANCE: after a brief description of the causes and implications of trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Europe, the Commission seeks to define an integrated policy operating at Community and Member State level through the third pillar (JHA). The initiatives proposed by the Commission are characterised by the following points: - interdisciplinary initiatives: . adoption of the STOP programme (Sexual Trafficking of Persons) in the framework of the third pillar, seeking to improve information about data and research in this field; . improved collection and distribution of data in the Member States; . improved cooperation and coordination of the work undertaken by international bodies (in particular the Council of Europe); . implementation of information and awareness campaigns financed by the Community; - immigration: . development of training courses for staff of national immigration services; . issue of temporary permits of stay for victims prepared to act as witnesses in judicial proceedings and coordination measures between judicial and police departments to avoid their expulsion; - judicial cooperation: . improvement of existing international instruments on protection against trafficking in women; . improvement of national legislation in order to take greater account of women trafficked from abroad; . creation of a new European Union legal instrument: joint action by the Member States intended to improve judicial cooperation to combat trafficking in women and introducing extraterritorial jurisdictional provisions; . strengthening of sanctions; - police cooperation: . improved exchange of communication between police authorities, in particular under Europol, and the creation of a list of specialists in the fight against crime (list of contact points for the police forces); . training of police services (inclusion of training modules in the STOP programme) and provision of joint courses for police services from the Member States; . strengthening cooperation and exchange of information with third countries, in particular within the framework of Europol; - social and employment dimension: . strengthening of preventive information: public awareness and information campaigns; . provision of social assistance programmes for victims, action against social exclusion and reintegration programmes; . creation of reception and rehabilitation centres; . as regards employment: monitoring of working conditions of au pair girls, bar employees and employees in health institutes and checking the criteria applied by employers in the context of the right of establishment in the EU; . provision of local and national training programmes for social and health personnel. - the Commission also proposes initiatives seeking to strengthen cooperation with third countries. The main concern is to provide for the inclusion in certain framework agreements with third countries of discussion on the trafficking in women and the way in which partners can work together . Other actions are envisaged, in particular with: . the PHARE and TACIS countries: the establishment through the Democracy Programme of projects concentrating on women and their status in society in the CEEC. Police and judicial cooperation could also be strengthened with these countries; . the ACP countries: provision of measures under the EDF such as improvement of legislation, judicial and police training, public awareness for the problem of trafficking in women; support for pilot projects with NGOs on the reintegration of victims, . the ALA/MED countries: provision of measures seeking the reinsertion of women in society in particular under MEDA (inclusion of a project on action against trafficking in women and prevention); work in collaboration with the NGOs active in this field (in particular in the ALA countries). �