European Commission
Malmström

On the agenda for today’s Commission meeting was the strategy for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in Brazil this summer, known as the Rio + 20 summit. It has been some time since we had a proper discussion on sustainable development in this constellation. Week after week the focus has rather been on the economic crisis, and although we are some Commissioners who are constantly trying to point out that green growth and sustainability is important to actually emerge stronger from the crisis, these issues tend to be sidelined. So it was good to have a proper discussion today.

As of last year, we are now 7 billion people on this earth and this figure will only increase. We must therefore use our natural resources more sustainably and for this reason it is also important that countries at the meeting in Rio can make some progress on this issue. We discussed the goals that the EU should prioritize our key allies and the need for a close dialogue with the industry on these issues.

Early this morning I also met with the Jordanian Foreign Minister. Jordan is a country which in recent years increasingly is seeking a closer cooperation with the EU. The country has not undergone a revolution, but the government is aiming to implement important reforms and changes. Last week there was a high-level meeting between the EU and Jordan, led by Cathie Ashton. One of the issues discussed was the visa requirements and we are investigating the feasibility of opening negotiations with Jordan, just as we do with Tunisia, a so-called mobility partnership, where we expand our cooperation in the fields of asylum, security, trafficking, visa, labour migration, etc. We decided to send a delegation of officials from my DG to Amman within a few weeks to continue discussions on a more technical level.

February 10th, 2010, was my first day as EU Commissioner. Two full years into my mandate, I can easily say that this has been two tough years. The economic crisis, with high levels of unemployment, has overshadowed all other policy areas. The Arab Spring has brought new hopes of democratic neighbours but also raised new challenges for them and for us.  They have clearly indicated the desire to cooperate with us on issues like migration, asylum, police, security and visa facilitation. This is also in our interest and therefore we are now preparing mobility partnerships with countries in the North African region, starting with Tunisia.

The events in southern Mediterranean have put pressure on the Schengen system, and in September last year I presented a proposal on how Schengen can be strengthened, safeguarding this fantastic achievement, but making sure that we improve our evaluation systems and minimize the risk of abuses. Negotiations are ongoing.

Since February 2010 we have advanced quite a lot in the work on the asylum package, although many difficulties remain. The deadline set by the European council, is 2012. We urgently need a system that is common in Europe, allowing asylum seekers to get the same treatment wherever they launch their application. Today, ten countries receive 90% of the asylum applications in the EU. With all countries having an administration and infrastructure in place, it will allow for a more even responsibility and solidarity between EU members.

We have adopted the long term residence directive, as well as the qualification direction and are very close to an agreement on the European Resettlement Program. The Asylum Support Office (EASO) in Malta is up and running, mainly assisting Greece where all member states, the commission and many others are involved to help the country to set up a reception system as well as build up a functioning border control. All member states participated in the Frontex/led RABIT-operation at the Greek/Turkish border.

In the field of legal migration we have agreement on the single permit and are well advanced in the directives on seasonal workers and Intra Corporate Transferees. This will protect legal migrants but also reduce bureaucracy in the member states. With my college Lazlo Andor we are planning further initiatives on labour skills needed for the future, including the need for further labour migration. In times where growth is desperately needed, we must make sure that we can get the best skills.

We have lifted the visa obligation for Albania and Bosnia and also started the dialogue with Kosovo, enabling easier people to people contact. Visa facilitation negotiations are ongoing with Russia, Moldova, Ukraine and soon hopefully with Turkey and Georgia.

In the security area I am most proud of the anti-trafficking directive that gives us better tools to fight this horrible modern slavery. With the employment of our anti-trafficking coordinator at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Home Affairs, I think we are better equipped than ever. Also, the directive on combating sexual violence and abuse of children is very dear to my heart and will help us to better protect the most vulnerable; our children.

In September last year I inaugurated RAN, the network that will help us prevent and identify violent radicalisation and extremism. The network is connecting local actors from all over Europe – academics, social workers, teachers, victims, and others to exchange information and best practices to prevent young people from falling into violent extremism. We have concluded negotiations on Passenger Name Records (PNR) with Australia and the U.S. and also put forward a proposal on a European PNR.

Corruption is a disease that eats confidence and trust and also erodes the legal economy. Last year I launched an anticorruption package, aiming for a report next year with tailor-made recommendations to all member states. To protect the licit economy is important, as well as restoring trust.

So a lot has been done since February 2010, but many things still remain. I am looking forward to all the possibilities and challenges of the rest of my mandate.

Today, UNICEF released a very interesting report on children as victims of trafficking in the Nordic countries. The report points to the fact that there is a need for better statistics about victims of trafficking and that the police and other authorities sometimes lack the know-how when it comes to helping children in distress.

The report confirms many of the problems that we also face at European level, and that we are trying to address from the European Commission. Just last week we presented an action plan on how to better obtain information on crime statistics in Europe, where one of the priorities is precisely trafficking in human beings. I urge all members to use the tools we have developed and report the data.

Needless to say, we cannot help victims by simply collecting statistics. We are therefore looking at, for example, how we can further improve practical cooperation on the ground between the police and other authorities and how to strengthen the position of victims and better encourage training of officials. Combatting trafficking in persons is one of my highest priorities as EU Commissioner. I find it horrendous that this slave trade is still so widespread in 2012.

Together with Myria Vassiliadou, the EU Anti-trafficking coordinator who I have appointed, I hope to present an action plan this summer with proposed measures that Member States should launch to improve the situation. Here, we are especially examining the situation for child victims.

Just a few years ago we did not even have a common definition of trafficking in the EU, and the penalties for these terrible crimes differed significantly within the Union. The same crime could be punished by 30 years in prison in one EU country, and by four years in another. My first initiative as Commissioner was to ensure that we had a common definition of trafficking and that this serious crime will be judged in the same way regardless of in which EU country the crimes are committed.

All forms of trafficking in people are indeed terrible crimes. They are even more terrible when they affect young people and children, who are less able to defend themselves and seek help from the authorities. Needless to say, part of the reason for why human trafficking still exists in our societies is because it is far too profitable and because too few are convicted of this type of crime. In early March, I will present a proposal about the confiscation of criminal assets, and the long and hard fight against slave traders will continue.

Serbian President Boris Tadic

Late last night I came back from a trip to Belgrade. The purpose of the trip was to attend a regional conference on corruption and organized crime, which is an annual conference organized by the Interior and Justice Ministers of Serbia. It is a forum where Ministers from across the Balkans, but also the wider region, discuss and exchange experiences. I had several interesting meetings, including with the Interior Minister, Ivica Dačice. We talked about crime, asylum and migration, cooperation with Europol and visa issues. With the Minister of Justice, Snezana Malovic, I spoke mostly about corruption and the importance of involving the whole community in the fight against corruption, not only the Minister of Justice. Serbia is currently working on creating an ambitious plan to fight corruption, so we exchanged ideas about what should be included.
 
The mood in Serbia is anxious right now, partly because of the unrest between Serbs and KFOR at the border with Kosovo, but above all because the European Council, at its summit on the 9th December, will decide whether Serbia should receive candidate status. It is my strong conviction that Serbia belongs in the European Union, but of course there are still many reforms to be made. The Commission has recommended that Serbia be given this status, but this is something that the Member States unanimously must to adopt, and that unity is not yet there. It is important that Serbia continues to engage in dialogue with Kosovo in trying to find a constructive solution to simplify everyday life. There is a new round of negotiations taking place today.
 
I also made two very interesting study visits; one to the Red Cross, which, for several years, has been running a project with young volunteers providing information on trafficking. It is a very ambitious project, and since 2005 the young volunteers have met with almost 100 000 children and adolescents. They also showed a film, Sisters, which tells the story of two young sisters who are lured to Western Europe and forced to work as sex slaves. The film’s producer, Bojana Maljevic, has received many awards and was there to speak about the film. We saw a clip which had a real impact, showing the brutal reality that sadly too many young women face today.

We also visited a refugee camp for Roma, where 250 Roma from Kosovo have been living for 15 years in very basic conditions. No electricity, no water and very simple houses. The camp will now be closed to build new houses and the Roma have no place to go. There are unfortunately many Roma who live that way, not only in Serbia, but in many countries in the region. In Belgrade alone there are over 130 camps with Roma. These are temporary camps in parking lots or landfills that gradually just become the permanent home of young and old alike. The EU supports Serbia in implementing various projects and building housing, but progress is very slow. Images of small, scantily-clad children playing among the garbage, and the concerns about what will happen to them, are not easy to let go.
 
The trip to Belgrade ended with a conversation with President Tadic. We talked of course about Kosovo.

Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Violence against women is an enormous problem which must be addressed every day. Every minute, women are subjected to domestic violence, rape and abuse. Every year hundreds of thousands of girls and women are being sold as sex slaves, and young girls are forced to beg on the streets. Too many girls are subject to so-called honour violence at the hands of their own family, because they go their own way in their choice of boyfriend etc. Combating this violence is an important priority for me.

I am proud that we have been able to get the anti-trafficking Directive in place, and proud of the tireless work Myria Vassiliadou, the Commission’s anti-trafficking coordinator, does with Member States to combat this heinous crime.  I am also proud that we continue to insist on special protection for female victims of sexual abuse and other violence in the ongoing asylum package negotiations. But combating violence against women requires new efforts every day in all sectors. I would like to highlight the importance all the great people who work daily to support and help women who are exposed to violence. A special day to highlight this issue might be good for raising awareness and knowledge, but the everyday work done on the other 364 days is even more important.

One of the worst crimes today is human trafficking. Every year hundreds of thousands of innocent people fall victim to human traffickers. Young girls are forced to sell their bodies up to 15 times a day. Small boys are forced to beg on the streets, after being sold by their parents to a criminal network. There is also an increase in the number of young men being exploited for hard labour, given almost no pay and living under horrible conditions, often locked up in a country where they don’t know the language.

Fighting trafficking is a long and difficult struggle. The EU directive I put forward last year is now being implemented in EU Member States and we are now looking at ways to do more to combat this crime. Increasing the cooperation between the different actors is an important part of this, and today, at the EU anti-trafficking day, several actors meet in Warsaw to discuss how to further increase cooperation. Here you will find more information what is happening at the EU level to fight human trafficking.

On Sunday evening I was saddened to receive the news that the Laura Pollán, a key figure from Cuba in the fight for democracy, has died. Laura was one of the founders of the movement Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco), who fought for the release of political prisoners, amongst which was her husband, in Cuba. As a Member of the European Parliament some years ago, I nominated Damas de Blanco for the Sacharov Prize and I hoped to see Laura at the prize ceremony, but unfortunately none of the ladies were allowed to leave the country to accept the prize. And now it’s too late.

I am in the beautiful town of Ohrid with a magnificent view over the lake which is shared by both the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania. The Polish presidency is chairing a ministerial meeting attended by all Ministers of Interior of the Western Balkans and on the agenda figures the fight against corruption, trafficking and organised crime.

All the Western Balkan countries, except for Kosovo, now enjoy visa free travel to the EU. This is a very positive development which enables the citizens of the Western Balkans to travel to the Schengen area without a visa. However,  since visa free travel was introduced there has been a dramatic increase of asylum requests in the EU from nationals from these countries. The majority are Roma. We have discussed how we can best address this situation and improve the situation for the Roma community in these countries

2011-06-28 Maria was only 13 when she was sold by her family to an unknown man and was raped and abused. She managed to escape and was sent back home only to be sold again and abused as a sex slave in Italy and the UK. She was forced to have sex with 65-70 men a day, every day during five years before she managed to escape again.

Maria is only one, out of what is estimated to be, several hundred thousand women, men and children being victims to trafficking living in Europe today. These crimes are not acceptable under any circumstances.

Today I received petitions from more than 2,3 million Europeans calling for an end to sex trafficking. Not only is it a very important awareness raising campaign by ECPAT and the Body Shop it is also a good example on how companies and civil society can work together. It also states the fact that it is not an acceptable that this slavery exists in Europe today, in the 21st century. We must do everything possible to stop the people responsible for these acts.

Early this year we managed to get an anti-trafficking Directive adopted by all three EU institutions, with a joint definition of trafficking in human beings, a harmonization and tougher penalties for this crime and better protection of the victims in all EU countries. Just before Christmas I also appointed an anti-trafficking coordinator to better coordinate all aspects of our anti-trafficking policies. But more needs to be done and we are currently working on further strengthening the EU cooperation in the fight against trafficking.

Yesterday the US State Department also published the Trafficking in Persons Report 2011. It assesses 184 governments around the world on their efforts to combat trafficking in persons. The report provides interesting reading and it also confirms that we have a lot more to do in the EU.

2011-06-01 The meeting with the African Union continued today. Focus in the discussions were on how we can support a democratic development in Northern Africa, especially Egypt and Tunisia. We also discussed the situation in Libya. Libya is a member of the AU but there are different opinions within the AU on how to address the country. I continued the discussions I had yesterday with Bience Gawanas, Commissioner responsible for Social Affairs. Amongst other things we discussed common efforts to combat trafficking.

The Commission adopted today two amended directives within the Common European Asylum System. The ongoing negotiations are tough and two of the directives are particularly difficult, the Asylum Procedures Directive and the Reception Conditions Directive. It is of the utmost importance that there are clear standards for the treatment of asylum seekers and special attention must be given to those with special needs, for example unaccompanied minors. Today’s proposals aim at breaking the deadlock position. I will discuss these in the Council meeting next week and also at the Summit, end of June, and I am really hoping that they will give me a clear signal to conclude the negotiations. See the press briefing here.

The humanitarian situation in Tunisia is still very serious. Member States are helping in different ways to evacuate people and assisting on the ground, and the Commission has allocated 30 million euro in humanitarian aid. At today’s college meeting, we adopted a strategy for North Africa, outlining measures for how the EU can support the democratic and economic transition in the short and long term. It was swiftly put together and will be transmitted to the EU heads of state and government, who will meet for an extraordinary summit in Brussels on Friday to discuss the situation.

We also adopted a climate roadmap, with regulations for how the EU will reduce CO2 emissions until 2050. Europe must set an example by leading the way in this important work, and I am glad that we adopted the roadmap unanimously today. At the same time I can’t help seeing the irony in adopting this in Strasbourg, to where my Commissioner colleagues, myself, and the whole European Parliament are commuting every month, causing 19.000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.

Today is also the occasion of the 100th International Women’s Day, and there is much to celebrate. We have achieved a lot to increase gender equality in Europe during the last century, and not least during my own lifetime, but we still have a lot of inequalities to overcome. In my area, I am particularly glad that I got broad support for my proposal for a Directive combating human trafficking just before Christmas. This modern slave trade is broader than being a women’s issue, but at the same time the majority of trafficking victims are women or young girls being bought and sold for sexual exploitation. This day is also a day to shed light on them, and to emphasise the need for us to never give up the fight against this horrible crime.