THE fight against trafficking in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children was "a confrontation with organised international crime", the Belgian Minister for Justice said in Dublin Castle yesterday.
Mr Stefaan de Clerck, who has played a leading role in the investigation of the child sex scandal in Belgium, was speaking after a day long discussion of the issue at an informal council meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers, chaired by the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen.
The ministers agreed in principle to a proposal from Mrs Owen to extend the mandate of the Europol Drugs Unit (EDU) in The Hague to include the exchange and analysis of information about trafficking in human beings. This decision is expected to be formally ratified next month.
"This is something that the general citizenry of Europe wanted to see happening as quickly as possible," Mrs Owen told reporters.
Ministers underlined the importance of the "earliest possible" ratification of the Europol convention by all member states. Under this convention it was agreed to establish a European police office to exchange and analyse information. The Europol Drugs Unit, which is the embryonic form of Europol, has a staff of 115 drawn mainly from EU police forces including the Garda Siochana.
The head of the EDU, Mr Jurgen Stornbeck, said the unit had provided support services in 1,500 criminal cases last year and another 1,500 so far this year. The EDU also provides information to the different police forces on nuclear criminality, illegal immigration and stolen cars.
The Ministers agreed to a Belgian proposal for the establishment of an exchange and training programme for police officers, scientists, magistrates and university academics specialising in this field.
Another Belgian proposal, to compile a European directory of specialists, research units and other sources of expertise to combat all forms of crime, was also agreed. It is proposed to concentrate initially on trafficking in human beings and illicit drugs.
There was a brief discussion on a proposal for uniform standardised sentencing in the various member states for drug trafficking.
Mrs Owen said the main aim of the meeting was to ensure that the sexual abuse and exploitation of children was "treated with the same level of seriousness" throughout the EU. She was exploring the possibility of outlawing the possession and viewing of child pornography in Ireland.
The ministers also reached informal agreement on a British proposal to study the requirements for setting up a DNA database to cover all member states.
The Under secretary of State at the Home Office, Mr Timothy Kirkhope, said total harmonisation of legislation on drug trafficking was "going to take a lot of hard work". It was not an issue of sovereignty for the British: "Here we've got a classic example of how the European Union can work well for everybody."
Mr de Clerck said: "I'm very happy to see that the problem is not reduced to a Belgian one. The ministers are very conscious of the fact that we are talking about an international problem. In every country, people are confronted with that kind of sexual delinquency and the solidarity of today is very helpful."