The European Commission has adopted the EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings (2012-2012), a set of concrete and practical measures to be implemented over the next five years.
These include the establishment of national law enforcement units specialised in human trafficking and the creation of joint European investigation teams to prosecute cross-border trafficking cases.
"Unfortunately slavery hasn't yet been left to the history books. It is appalling to see that in our times human beings are still being put up for sale and being trafficked into forced labour or prostitution,” said Cecilia Malmström, Home Affairs Commissioner. “Ensuring that victims can get support and bringing traffickers to justice is at the heart of our actions. We are far from there yet, but we can have only one aim: to eradicate trafficking in human beings".
The strategy includes prevention, protection and support of the victims, as well as prosecution of the traffickers. .
In adopting this strategy, the Commission is focusing on concrete actions that will support and complement the implementation of EU legislation on trafficking (whose deadline for transposition is April 2013).