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PACE encourages the EU to accede to the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings

“The Parliamentary Assembly strongly encourages the European Union to accede to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings as soon as possible, so that the same standards can be applied here throughout Europe, including the European Union,” said Lydie Err (Luxembourg, SOC) in Brussels today at a seminar on combating and preventing trafficking in human beings held by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament.

“At a time when the European Union is drawing up a directive on combating and preventing trafficking in human beings, I consider it imperative that the standards which the European Union is intending to set out are neither incompatible with, nor less demanding than, those of the Council of Europe in this area. We must co-operate and co-ordinate our work if we wish to set up effective systems to protect victims,” she added, and announced that the PACE would be holding an international parliamentary conference on action against trafficking in human beings in Europe on 3 December 2010.