Purposes and The Programs/projects of European

EU is a union of 28 member countries which share political and economic relations. The purposes of the European Union are to promote greater social, political and economic harmony among the nations of Western Europe. Because of the EU nations due to the economies that are interdependent makes it less likely for them to engage in conflict. It works as a “Single market” through a standardized system of laws that apply in all member states. EU ensures free movement of people, goods & services and capital within its all members. It is also responsible to enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries, and regional development. The EU is set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between neighbors, which culminated in the Second World War.

The current project of EU is Integration of victims of trafficking in human beings (09 November 2017 - 01 March 2018).

According to the 2016 Report on the progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings, there is strong evidence that the migration crisis has been exploited by criminal networks involved in trafficking in human beings to target the most vulnerable, in particular women and children. As an example, recent IOM estimates show a sharp increase by 600% since 2014 in the number of potential victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation arriving to Italy through the Central Mediterranean route. Victims are predominantly Nigerian women and girls. In this context, there is a clear need to support the integration of victims of trafficking who are third-country nationals and who are residing legally in a Member State or, where appropriate, who are in the process of acquiring legal residence in a Member State, including beneficiaries of international protection.

The provision of assistance and support for the victims of trafficking in human beings under this call assists the Member States to meet their obligations under Articles 11-14 of Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victim. Priority 5 of this call addresses the findings of the Commission Report on the progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings (2016) as required under Article 20 of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims and Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA.

Projects applications submitted under the present call for proposals under priority 5 should be designed to include in particular one or more of the following activities (these are 2 of them); In the context of delivering individual risk assessments in view of finding durable solutions, actions on assistance and support measures should address the needs of third-country nationals, especially women and children, including unaccompanied children, who are victims of trafficking and have specific needs (pregnancy, psychological trauma, physical injuries, and age). It is crucial that the measures incorporate a gender-specific approach. Actions should address support during procedures before national authorities; legal and medical assistance (including psychological support); psychosocial support; accommodation and other relevant assistance and support measures.

Second, actions related to the integration of third-country nationals who are victims of trafficking should, in particular, address the perspective of the victims, with a view to assisting their integration in the host society. This should include, but not be limited to, possibilities for education, vocational training and apprenticeship programmes; job placement services; income-generating activities; and specialized family or dependent support. A gender-specific approach to such actions is considered important.

Proposals must take a victim-centered approach, and be gender-specific as relevant. Projects should target, but not be limited to, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation as per the results of the Comprehensive Policy Review, the statistical data available, and in line with the decision of the Commission of designating 2017 as the year of focused action to address violence against women and girls.

The projects under priority 5 must be aiming at achieving one or more of the following outcomes:

• Improve the situation of third-country national victims of trafficking in human beings and/or demonstrate and evaluate how the national/transnational actions contributed in this regard
• Set up and improve transnational cooperation networks for assistance and support of victims and their integration
• Share, exchange experiences and information and best practices related to the groundwork for integrating victims of trafficking in human beings in cooperation with relevant authorities and civil society and disseminate the results
• Develop practical approaches, tools, and guidelines.

Some examples of funding programmes other than what I’ve mentioned before are; Prevention and fight against crime (ISEC); the Daphne Programme which is the Measures to combat violence against women, young persons and children; European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR); Thematic Programme Migration and Asylum where actions against trafficking in human beings have been (and are) among the set priorities.

The EU provides funding for a broad range of projects and programmes covering areas such as:

• regional & urban development,
• employment & social inclusion,
• agriculture & rural development,
• maritime & fisheries policies,
• research & innovation,
• humanitarian aid.