scholarly journals ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING POLICY OF THE EU

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (86) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iryna Klymchuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
Human Trafficking ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Member States ◽  
Funding Program ◽  
Trafficking In Human Beings ◽  
Institutional Mechanism ◽  
The Eu

After the mid-1990s, the EU realized the need to develop a common approach to combating human trafficking. As a result of the increased competence of the relevant EU institutions, as well as the increase of stakeholders’ concerns about its internal security and control of external borders began to grow, which gave push to the unprecedented formation, expansion and consolidation of anti-trafficking policy. Accordingly, a number of legislative and policy instruments have been created for this purpose. Important EU anti-trafficking program activities include the EMPACT program (European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats) (2011-2013) and (2013-2017), which consisted of the joint participation of Member States in multidisciplinary operational actions to combat organized crime involved in trafficking in human beings. Also in 2009, the EU developed the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility, as well as a separate document focused on strengthening the EU’s external influence against human trafficking. A more recent EU migration program in 2015 provided Member States with a comprehensive set of tools to manage migration and combat trafficking in human beings. Important tools in the fight against trafficking in human beings in the EU include Directive 2004/81/EU, which regulates the granting of temporary residence permits to third-country nationals who have been trafficked; Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims; Directive 2012/29/EU, which set additional minimum standards for the rights, support and protection of trafficking victims. In 2012 a joint EU strategy to eradicate trafficking-related crimes was launched for 2012-2016. An appropriate information platform has also been set up, which contains information on legal documents, initiatives, or possible projects and stakeholders dealing with human trafficking. In addition, a funding program has been established to promote quantitative and qualitative research projects, enhance the exchange of valuable knowledge and improve the quality of data collection. We came to the conclusion that institutional mechanism of the European Union in combating with trafficking in human beings is a system of EU bodies that adopt relevant regulations. This institutional mechanism has a rather complex structure, based on the European Parliament, the European Council, the European Commission, the European Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, the EU Expert Group on Trafficking of Human Beings, Europol, Eurojust, the European Judicial Network. The main component of this structure is the European Commission, which makes decisions and takes initiatives in this area. A characteristic feature of the EU’s anti-trafficking policy is not only to ensure respect for human rights of victims of this crime, but also to create appropriate conditions for its rehabilitation, further socialization and prosecution of perpetrators. In sum, the EU treats human trafficking as one of the global problems of our days and is making considerable efforts to combat it.

scholarly journals Member States’ social security agreements with India

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-187
Author(s):  
Pauline Melin
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Legal Analysis ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Bilateral Agreements ◽  
Country Case Study ◽  
The Eu

In a 2012 Communication, the European Commission described the current approach to social security coordination with third countries as ‘patchy’. The European Commission proposed to address that patchiness by developing a common EU approach to social security coordination with third countries whereby the Member States would cooperate more with each other when concluding bilateral agreements with third countries. This article aims to explore the policy agenda of the European Commission in that field by conducting a comparative legal analysis of the Member States’ bilateral agreements with India. The idea behind the comparative legal analysis is to determine whether (1) there are common grounds between the Member States’ approaches, and (2) based on these common grounds, it is possible to suggest a common EU approach. India is taken as a third-country case study due to its labour migration and investment potential for the European Union. In addition, there are currently 12 Member State bilateral agreements with India and no instrument at the EU level on social security coordination with India. Therefore, there is a potential need for a common EU approach to social security coordination with India. Based on the comparative legal analysis of the Member States’ bilateral agreements with India, this article ends by outlining the content of a potential future common EU approach.

scholarly journals The EU after Brexit: Key Geopolitical and Geo-Economic Challenges

2020 ◽  
pp. 30-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr YAKOVLEV
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Commission ◽  
European Parliament ◽  
European Council ◽  
The Political ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Union History ◽  
The Eu

The decision on Britain’s secession from the European Union, taken by the British Parliament and agreed by London and Brussels, divided the Union history into “before” and “after”. Not only will the remaining member states have to “digest” the political, commercial, economic and mental consequences of parting with one of the largest partners. They will also have to create a substantially new algorithm for the functioning of United Europe. On this path, the EU is confronted with many geopolitical and geo-economic challenges, which should be answered by the new leaders of the European Commission, European Council, and European Parliament.

scholarly journals SOLIDARITY CHECK IN TIMES OF COVID-19. ANALYSIS OF THE EU APPROACH TOWARDS ITS CLOSEST NEIGHBOURS WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON MONTENEGRO

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Đurić ◽  
Bojana Lalatović
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Member States ◽  
Balkan Countries ◽  
The Eu

Solidarity as one of the cornerstone values of the European Union has been once again seated on the red chair and intensively discussed within the European Union and broader. After the economic recession and migrant crisis that marked the last two decades, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has once again harshly tested the fundamental objectives and values of the European Union and the responsiveness and effectiveness of its governance system on many fronts. In April, 2020 several EU Member States were among the worst affected countries worldwide and this situation soon became similar in their closest neighbourhood. It put a huge pressure on the EU to act faster, while at the same time placing this sui generis community to the test that led to revealing its strengths and weaknesses. As it happened in the previous crises, the Union launched policies and various programmes that were meant to lessen the burden of the Member States and aspiring countries caused by the crises. The objectives of the mentioned soft law instruments that the EU adopted during the COVID-19 crisis has been not only to show that EU law is equipped to react to health and economic crises rapidly but to deliver its support in terms of solidarity to its Member States and its closest neighbours facing the unprecedented health and economic crisis. This article will explore the value and implication of the solidarity principle in times of Covid-19 in its various manifestations. A special focus will be on the financial and material aspects of the EU instruments created to combat the negative consequences of the pandemic and their further impact on shaping the solidarity principle within the EU system. While examining the character and types of these mechanisms a special focus will be placed on those available to Western Balkan countries, whereas Montenegro as the “fast runner” in the EU integration process will be taken as a case study for the purpose of more detailed analyses. One of the major conclusions of the paper will be that although the speed of the EU reactions due to highly complex structure of decision making was not always satisfying for all the actors concerned, the EU once again has shown that it is reliable and that it treats the Western Balkan countries as privileged partners all for the sake of ending pandemic and launching the socio-economic recovery of the Western Balkans. Analytical and comparative methods will be dominantly relied upon throughout the paper. This will allow the authors to draw the main conclusions of the paper and assess the degree of solidarity as well as the effectiveness of the existing EU instruments that are available to Montenegro and aimed at diminishing negative consequences of the crisis.

Developments in the Collection of Statistical Information on the Number of Animals used in Experiments and other Scientific Purposes in the European Union

2000 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-145
Author(s):  
Ursula G. Sauer ◽  
Roman Kolar
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Statistical Report ◽  
Animal Use ◽  
The Three Rs ◽  
The Eu

In 1999, the European Commission presented its second report on the numbers of laboratory animals used in the European Union (EU). The plausibility of the data and the usefulness of the format of the registration tables remain questionable, for reasons previously discussed in connection with the Commission's first statistical report. In addition, it is impossible to derive sound information on trends in animal use in the EU and its Member States from the second statistical report. The European Commission and the Member States have agreed on new tables to be used for future statistics on the use of experimental animals in the EU. These new tables have been significantly extended and improved. Several categories of little relevance have been revised, and ambiguous expressions have been clarified. However, several problems either persist or have been newly created. Moreover, some important data (i.e. categories for pain and distress, as well as for several specific purposes of use; the origin of some animal species; types of institutions; and the use of genetically engineered animals) are still not required. Nevertheless, these are highly relevant to animal welfare and must be regarded as indispensable for a well-aimed application of the statistics to set priorities concerning the Three Rs.

Environmental Inspections at the EU: The imperative to move forward

elni Review ◽  
2009 ◽  
pp. 79-82
Author(s):  
Ana Barreira
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Current Status ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Community Law ◽  
European Institutions ◽  
The Eu ◽  
The Way

The European Commission has recognised that “[l]aws do not serve their full purpose unless they are properly applied and enforced”. In addition “[t]he European Institutions and the Member States should continue to develop their work to ensure that Community law is correctly applied and implemented”. There are diverse tools for guaranteeing compliance such as compliance indicators, compliance and enforcement strategies and environmental inspections, the purpose of which is to supervise compliance. This article focuses on the latter. Firstly, the way in which this instrument was incorporated under Community environmental policy is examined. Secondly, the current status of environmental inspections at EU level is briefly analysed. Thereafter, it will concentrate on the proposals for the review of this tool, ending with some recommendations on how environmental inspections should be regulated in the European Union with a focus on the demands of European Environmental Bureau (EEB) on this matter.

International Cooperation in Combating Human Trafficking in the EU: Evidence from Turkey

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gönül Oğuz
Keyword(s):  
National Security ◽  
Human Trafficking ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Human Smuggling ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Irregular Migrants ◽  
The Eu

Human trafficking lies at the heart of international organised crime. It is concerned with profits in terms of the exploitation of human beings. It is an abuse of basic rights. The enormous interest and concern for trafficking and human struggling is factual evidence. In the EU, policy on irregular migration is driven by the perception that the member states risk being overwhelmed by large numbers of irregular migrants thought to constitute a threat to national security. This has implications for policy measures designed to combat trafficking and human smuggling, which may not work without international cooperation. In most cases, victims are brought to the EU member states from abroad. This creates a demand for international obligations for cooperation and related instruments for combating human smuggling and trafficking. Therefore, the member states and their law enforcement agencies cannot tackle human trafficking alone. A question arises as to whether Turkey can be a vital partner, based on the facts that it is a transit country, with a strong border and assuming that it has a role to play, through its expertise and its commitment to dealing with the effects of trafficking. Unfortunately, these facts are still overlooked, while disproportionately intensive efforts are expended on dealing with questions of national security by the member states. Combating illegal immigration and reducing and controlling migration are frequently seen through the magnifying glass of the struggle against human trafficking. This article focuses on the international factors involved and how the wider international community might be able to play an effective role in helping to tackle human trafficking. It argues that continued coordination and collaboration across the countries is vital. The article reviews the empirical evidence from Turkey, as non-EU/candidate countries' cooperation and assistance in human trafficking may have an important dimension.

scholarly journals Financial Transactions Tax as an Integration Development Instrument in the EU

2020 ◽  
pp. 165-172
Author(s):  
Ilya Lifshits ◽  
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Customary Law ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Financial Transaction ◽  
Financial Transaction Tax ◽  
Financial Transactions ◽  
Transaction Tax ◽  
The Eu

The adoption of a legal instrument relating to the harmonization of the ten Member States‟ laws on the financial transaction tax could be the first attempt in the EU history to establish an enhanced cooperation in the area of taxation. This project should be considered in the wider context of the financial sphere reform, which was caused by the global financial crisis. The draft Directive implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of the financial transaction tax has been discussed in the Council for 7 years but an accord has not been reached yet. The ambition of the European Commission to enlarge the scope of the financial transaction tax payers as much as possible is perceived by the non-participating Member States as an encroachment of their tax jurisdiction which contradicts the international customary law as well as The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. An examination of the reasons of unsuccessful negotiations may lead to a conclusion on drawbacks of the enhanced cooperation in taxation policy. It is not likely that this mechanism would be used in the future to tax a very mobile financial market where the tax base may be easily transferred to the non-tax states. Meanwhile the participation of the leading EU States in the project, a wide public support of the „Robin Hood Tax‟ and Brexit suggest that in the coming months financial transactions in ten Member States will be charged by the harmonized tax. However, the scope of the tax would be reduced in comparison with that in the initial draft of the European Commission.

scholarly journals Polityka konkurencji Unii Europejskiej w warunkach globalizacji gospodarki światowej

2016 ◽  
pp. 43-59
Author(s):  
Ewa Latoszek ◽  
Agnieszka Kłos
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Competition Policy ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Internal Market ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
The World ◽  
The Eu

The aim of this article is to present the essence of competition policy and its implementation in the European Union in the context of ongoing globalization of the world economy. The paper will present selected factors that stimulate the process of globalization, main objectives and tools supporting the functioning of the EU internal market, and the place of the European Commission as a body that enforces compliance with the rules of competition by companies and the Member States.

scholarly journals Die „Methode Barnier“ – Lehren aus der Verhandlungsführung der EU beim Brexit

IG ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-100
Author(s):  
Nicolai von Ondarza
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Commission ◽  
European Parliament ◽  
European Council ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Institutional Approach ◽  
Five Elements ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Eu

The Brexit negotiations constituted unchartered political and institutional territory for the European Union (EU). This analysis shows how a new institutional approach enabled the EU-27 to present an unusually united front. The “Barnier method” is characterised by five elements: a strong political mandate from the European Council, a single EU negotiator based in the European Commission in the person of Michel Barnier, very close coordination with the Member States and the European Parliament, and a high degree of transparency. Lessons can also be drawn from this for the next phase of the Brexit negotiations and the EU’s relations with other third countries.

scholarly journals European Union’s Fiscal Rules and New Financial Instruments for 2021- 2017: Bulgaria’s Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-35
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
Fiscal Rules ◽  
Financial Instruments ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Economic Cycle ◽  
Member States ◽  
Growth Pact ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Eu

Fiscal policymaking of the Member States aims to follow fiscal rules through the economic cycle that ensure macroeconomic sustainability in the European Union (EU). After the 2008 global crisis, the Stability and Growth Pact introduced the enhanced supranational fiscal rules, setting additional boundaries to fiscal deficits and government debt. The new ceiling on the structural deficit in public finance laws of Member States has served to protect creditworthiness. The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a temporary suspension of the fiscal rules, clearly indicates that the key challenges are to implement a countercyclical policy during upturns, building buffers for bad days. Under the Next Generation Europe’s initiative the European Commission (EC) will borrow up to €750 billion and distribute it over 2021-2024 to Member States (European Commission, 2020a). Raising funds in the EU budget and repayment of the EC debt may lead to amendments to the design and application of the EU fiscal rules. This paper lays out the objectives of the EU current fiscal framework and its main pillars, discusses how the EC new financial instruments for the period 2021-2027 will be accounted for in the Member States’ fiscal framework, and what are its possible changes and challenges after Covid-19 and Brexit.

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