Cuardaigh

In December 2022, the European Commission presented a proposal to review Directive 2011/36/EU to strengthen the rules on combating trafficking in human beings and to better protect victims. Despite some progress achieved in recent years, it is estimated that over 7 000 people become victims of human trafficking in the EU on an annual basis, although the figure could be much higher because many victims remain undetected. Human trafficking is not only a serious and borderless crime, but also a lucrative ...

On 19 December 2022, the European Commission put forward a proposal for the targeted revision of Directive 2011/36/EU, which is the main EU instrument to combat trafficking in human beings and protect its victims. Despite progress achieved in fighting this crime, the Commission reports that, on average, 7 000 people per year are victims of human trafficking in the EU and that this figure is most likely only the tip of the iceberg. Moreover, forms of exploitation have evolved over time and have adapted ...

This IA supports the proposal for a revision of the 2011 Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims. Overall, it provides a complete and detailed explanation of the problem, of its scope, drivers, and of the need to take EU-level action. It is well-substantiated and relies on the evaluation of the directive conducted in parallel with the IA, stakeholder feedback, comprehensive desk research and recent data from Eurostat. The IA is also transparent ...

Among the highlights of the March I plenary session was a debate on the conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 9 February and the preparation of the European Council meeting of 23-24 March 2023, with Charles Michel, the President of the European Council. Members also debated the failure of the Silicon Valley Bank and its implications for European financial stability, a common EU response to save lives at sea, the need to ensure transparency and accountability in the light of alleged ...

The European Commission proposed a revision of Directive 2008/99/EC on the protection of the environment through criminal law in December 2021. The proposal intends to clarify some of the terms contained in the directive and includes an updated list of environmental crime offences, harmonised sanction types and levels, measures to strengthen international investigation and prosecution, improvements to the collection of statistical data and measures to improve national enforcement chains. Ultimately ...

According to the European Commission, the manufacturing and trade in firearms, their essential components and ammunition employs around 150 000 people in the EU. Following the terrorist attacks in the EU of the last decade, the EU decided to update its legislation on civilian firearms. In 2020, the Commission adopted the 2020-2025 action plan on firearms trafficking to help curb illegal flows of firearms, and ammunition, while also strengthening the legal market. The publication of Directive (EU) ...

The confiscation of criminals' illicit profits is considered an effective tool in the fight against organised crime, identified as a major threat to EU security. However, despite the comprehensive set of EU rules on asset freezing and confiscation, there are still obstacles on the path to recovering criminal assets, as shown by the European Commission's June 2020 evaluation of the 2014 directive on freezing and confiscation of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime and the 2007 Council decision ...

Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims is the benchmark legislation on the fight against trafficking in human beings (human trafficking) at EU level. It is part of a broader policy framework that entails a range of measures aimed at the prevention and prosecution of trafficking in human beings, as well as protection from and establishment of partnerships against this practice. Despite progress in implementing those measures, trafficking ...

This briefing follows up the commitments made by the commissioner in 2019.

The EU has made substantial progress in terms of protecting its citizens since the early 1990s. This has often been in response to dramatic incidents, such as murders committed by the mafia or other organised crime groups or big money-laundering scandals, or to negative trends, such as the steep increase in migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings following the 2015 migration crisis. More recently, it was necessary to respond to the sharp rise in cybercrime, fraud and counterfeiting during ...