The strategic meeting on trafficking in human beings (THB) was organised by Eurojust in The Hague on 16 and 17 April 2015 as part of Eurojust’s strategic project on THB. Over the course of the two days, prosecutors, judges, law enforcement authorities and THB experts analysed the challenges posed by the investigation and prosecution of THB cases. The participants included practitioners from the Member States, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and the United States of America, as well as representatives of the European Commission, Europol, the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the University of Cambridge, Western Union and Facebook.

The focus of the strategic meeting was how to strengthen and improve cooperation between national judicial authorities in the fight against THB. In particular, the meeting analysed challenges encountered in obtaining evidence from victims of THB and in prosecuting THB cases for the purpose of labour exploitation. It also examined judicial cooperation issues related to the use of JITs, the gathering and admissibility of e-evidence, the use of special investigative techniques, as well as financial investigations in THB cases. Last but not least, it analysed the value of Eurojust’s involvement in THB cases and identified other areas where Eurojust could assist Member States.

Prior to the strategic meeting, Eurojust circulated two questionnaires on THB, one addressed to the judicial authorities in the Member States, Norway and Switzerland and a second addressed to the National Members at Eurojust. Based on the responses to the questionnaires, Eurojust carried out an analysis and prepared a report. The report summarised the preliminary findings of the analysis and was distributed to all participants to provide background information for the strategic meeting. The report, finalised after the meeting, is presented in the Annex.

The two-day strategic meeting consisted of plenary presentations and workshops that addressed specific aspects of THB. The following summary reflects participants’ input and comments.