MEP urges more to say NO to child trafficking

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 22nd Jul 2008

More than 16,000 people have now signed the Alliance of Liberals of Democrats for European sponsored petition www.sayno.eu against child trafficking, but Elspeth Attwooll MEP insists that more people must sign so that the 1 million target can be reached and a clear message to the world.

The Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland said:

"Sixteen-thousand signatures in such a short space of time is fantastic, but we are still way off the one million target.

We have to raise greater awareness to get more people to sign, so that we can send out a clear message to people and governments all over the world.

I'd strongly urge anyone who hasn't signed yet to do so, and those who have to encourage their friends and family to do the same."

ENDS

The online petition www.sayno.eu includes three concrete proposals:

1) The Member States should give Europol a stronger role and receive the powers and the means to train police, prosecutors and judges in Southeast Asia and South-eastern Europe on the subject of sexual exploitation of children.

2) The EU should improve the exchange of information with third countries in order to help identify possible suspects as well as prosecuting perpetrators.

3) The EU should enter those suspected of child sex tourism, also outside of the EU, into the Schengen Information System.

Along with ALDE the online petition is sponsored by Terre des Hommes, Plan International, ECPAT International and Save the Children.