Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-12-17-Speech-3-227"
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"en.20031217.8.3-227"2
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".
Honourable Member, this is a particularly serious and painful topic and, as you know, the Commission has been intensively concerned with it for years. I would like to make one preliminary remark. My personal strategy in this connection has always been that one must be very careful about dramatic insinuations or dramatic accusations. And I have to note to my horror – I have to say I really am horrified – that the publications of some non-governmental organisations, which are made with the best of intentions and draw attention to serious problems, have resulted in dramatic and sensational reporting in the media, especially in those countries bordering on the Czech Republic, with dire consequences. They have resulted in a flood of sex tourists, who now go to these border areas because they have seen on television that children are reportedly offered for prostitution there, and they are now asking for children. And I am very concerned that this sensational reporting is creating a demand for which, ultimately, a supply will be forthcoming even if there was no supply at all before. We must therefore be extremely cautious and extremely sensitive when dealing with this question. I am sure you agree with me.
This problem is not simply a question that lies within the sole competence of the Czech authorities and has nothing to do with us; it is a problem that belongs in the realm of police and judicial cooperation and, I am firmly convinced, also in the area of respect for human rights. The Commission has repeatedly urged the Czech authorities to take the necessary action in the light of this.
In the 2002 progress report, the Commission notes that the Czech Government has taken important steps to combat the trade in human beings. These included in particular improving the legal framework with an amendment to the penal code in 2002. That change in the law widened the definition of trade and also extended it to children. An accelerated amendment to the code of criminal procedure has also ensured that proceedings in child abuse cases are simplified and speeded up. Back in the year 2000, the Czech Government adopted a national plan to combat the commercial sexual abuse of children and in 2003 a wide-ranging national plan to combat the trade in human beings for purposes of sexual exploitation. The implementation of these plans is kept under constant review.
The Commission has come to the conclusion that the situation in the Czech Republic, especially along the borders between the Czech Republic and Germany and between the Czech Republic and Austria, continues to give cause for concern. In the light of the most recent reports from non-governmental organisations, the Commission is encouraging the Czech authorities to take further steps. The Czech authorities are responsible for taking all necessary measures to prevent the trade in human beings and child prostitution.
In my opinion, the most important thing at the moment is to use effective surveillance to gain an overview of the actual situation. That would also make it easier to track down and prosecute offenders. This will require quite close cooperation between the competent police forces, both internally and across the borders. I must particularly emphasise this cross-border aspect because, as I am sure you know, honourable Member, the clients do not come from the Czech Republic. The clients come from neighbouring countries that have been members of the European Union for a long time.
The Commission is in close contact with both the Czech and the German and Austrian authorities in order to obtain precise information about the situation on the spot and to be able to respond to new developments. Regrettably, the financing rules under which we have to operate do not allow direct assistance to be given to the victims of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. But the Commission does make substantial amounts of money available for fighting organised crime and the trade in human beings through the PHARE programme. The Czech Republic has received EUR 5.5 million for this purpose in the last four years. Further assistance will be granted for this purpose after accession from the financial assistance instrument known as the ‘transitional facility’. In addition, since the year 2000 Czech non-governmental organisations have taken part in five projects under the Community’s Daphne programme with the aim of preventing violence against children, young persons and women, including violence in the form of sexual exploitation. Non-governmental organisations from the Czech Republic will also be able to apply for similar funding from the Daphne programme for the years 2004 – 2008."@en1
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