Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-01-16-Speech-1-126"
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am grateful to all those who have spoken in this debate. There seems to be total agreement, and I believe that the value added by the European Union, as we address the problem together through a global approach, is clear to everyone.
I should like to focus on a few specific points that have been mentioned. The Commission will continue to encourage and promote specific projects aiming at the prevention of human trafficking and the protection of its victims, particularly women and children. I can confirm that I am willing to ensure that the projects that come under the Daphne initiative are kept separate from the anti-drugs strategy. I know that Parliament specifically wants that and, once you have drawn up a proposal to that effect, I shall be prepared to endorse it and to keep the instruments for preventing and combating the traffic in women and children (the Daphne programme) separate from the anti-drugs initiatives, as they are clearly distinct topics.
I fully agree with the idea of a European helpline for victims, particularly children. I too am working on a project of this nature and I greatly value the proposal contained in the report. I am thinking of initiatives in the framework of the Union’s international policy to reduce or, rather, to root out sex tourism. This is not exactly traffic into Europe, but there are unfortunately thousands and thousands of citizens of European countries whose ideal holiday is to go to countries where they can have sex with little boys and girls.
Such sex tourism must be stamped out, and I believe that one way to do so is to involve the vast international network of travel agents. Travel agents know perfectly well, when they organise trips, what the aims of sex tourism are, and so we shall work with the governments of the countries involved and with the network of travel agents to pass on this powerful message at least.
As regards sporting events, this is undoubtedly an important matter. I intend to write a formal letter to the German Government to recommend that specific preventive measures be taken during the 2006 football World Cup to prevent the influx and concentration of persons who would, unfortunately, be destined to go into prostitution during that period. It will not be a difficult operation, since these are problems that are easy to spot, and the German Federal Government’s means and resources, including its investigative resources, will be in a position to help us. I shall act on your suggestion and send this request.
I agree on taking a tougher attitude towards customers. I am personally convinced – I have said this before and I repeat it now – that the clientèle needs to be deterred. There will be a debate on this topic and, although it seems there is some divergence of opinion on it, I believe we can all agree that there would be no trafficking in human beings, or at least much less, if it were not for the people who call for it. That is why careful consideration is needed, above all by the national governments, such as those of Sweden and Finland, which have adopted that strategy, and also by the European Union as a whole. Let me repeat my view: we need to be tougher on the customers.
The last subject on which I should like to focus is information exchange: more information must be given to the countries of origin, but also more information must be exchanged within European Union Member States. Like me, you probably know that a European criminal record does not yet exist for people convicted of paedophilia, for instance. It was possible for the Fourniret case to happen because nobody in another country knew where this person came from or what sort of person he was.
Today it is necessary to focus on paedophilia, for instance – as we are doing – by setting up a European information register: not a new structure, but a flow of real-time information accessible to all the Member States for certain types of conviction, starting with paedophilia itself, which in my view is one of the most hateful of crimes.
Precisely for that reason, when I spoke to the director of Europol, I could appreciate the organisation’s commitment to combating paedophilia, including through the use of information systems. I am saying this because Mrs Riera Madurell raised the subject. I can tell you that an initial investigation last year into a gang of paedophiles in 13 European countries, coordinated by Europol itself, led to the arrest of almost 100 people. That really is good news, even though few people know about it. I repeat: 13 countries, and coordinated by Europol. That shows that Europe can and must take action. Of course, you can always count on my staunch support."@en1
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