PROJECT TITLE: HERA - Network for Combating Human Trafficking in Central and Eastern Europe
COUNTRIES: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, FYROM, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Greece
OVERALL OBJECTIVE: Targeting ten countries of the region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, FYROM, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine) the project aimed at their approximation of legislation of to the acquis communautaire in the field of human trafficking. It envisaged the cooperation of the public administration, juridical, prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities with the same objective.
ACTIVITIES:
In order to achieve the aforementioned goal a working group of experts was established in each of the eleven target countries, which prepared a national report concerning the status of the phenomenon of Human Trafficking in their country. Each working group was composed of five members, namely, i) a representative of the public administration, ii) a representative of the juridical/prosecutorial authorities, iii) a representative of the law enforcement authorities, iv) a representative of the academic world, and v) a representative of civil society.
The activities of the project included:
- Creation of a Steering Committee for the coordination of the project;
- Conduct of national reports for each country;
- Creation of a network between the target countries, so as to facilitate a constant flow of information, exchange of ideas and comparative study;
- Meetings of the Steering Committee members and the representatives of the EPLC/EPLO with the working groups of the countries;
- Organization of an International Conference in Thessaloniki with the participation of the members of the working groups of the participant countries and representatives of the political, diplomatic and social scene of Greece;
- Publication of reports and results.
The importance of HERA project lies in its contribution in the formation of a common strategy of combating human trafficking in Central and Southern Europe.
FUNDING AGENCY: Hellenic Aid, Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs
LEADER: EPLO
TIME FRAME: 2006-2007