In its third evaluation report on Ireland, GRETA has urged the Irish authorities to take further action against human trafficking, notably by improving the prosecution of human traffickers and providing specialised shelters and compensation for victims. GRETA also urged the authorities to finalise the adoption of a National Referral Mechanism, which ensures that different agencies are involved in identifying victims of all types of trafficking, and to provide trafficking victims with specialised assistance.

In its third evaluation report on Luxembourg’s implementation of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, GRETA has urged the authorities to make additional efforts to identify and assist victims of trafficking, and to ensure that human trafficking cases are investigated proactively and results in effective, proportionate, and dissuasive sanctions. GRETA acknowledges steps taken by Luxembourg to further develop its legislative framework relevant to action against trafficking in human beings, including by amending the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Law on the Legal Profession. 

In its latest report evaluating Belgium’s implementation of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, GRETA has urged the authorities to improve trafficking victims’ access to legal aid and to guarantee their effective access to compensation. GRETA welcomed a number of positive developments since its last evaluation report, including the adoption of legislation in May 2019 stating that victims of trafficking should not be punished for crimes they were compelled to commit. 

The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action Against Human Trafficking (GRETA) has published its second evaluation report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Anti-trafficking Convention by Belarus. The report assesses progress in the implementation of the Convention since the publication of the first evaluation report by GRETA in 2017 until July 2022, including during the period marked by the unprecedented movement of migrants on Belarus’ borders in 2021.

A delegation of the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) carried out an evaluation visit to Azerbaijan on 5-9 September 2022 as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings The focus of this evaluation round of the Convention is on trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies. Prior to the visit, the Azerbaijani authorities provided a reply to GRETA’s questionnaire for the third evaluation round. In addition to the new thematic focus, GRETA verified how the main recommendations made in its second evaluation report have been implemented.

On 19-25 October 2022, a delegation of GRETA carried out an evaluation visit to the Netherlands as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
During the visit, the GRETA delegation held consultations with Mr Eric van der Burg, State Secretary of the Ministry of the Justice and Security, as well as officials from the Ministry of the Justice and Security, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (Labour Inspectorate), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, and the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations.

A delegation of the GRETA carried out an evaluation visit to Sweden on 24-28 October 2022 as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. During the visit, the delegation met Ms Anna Ekstedt, Ambassador-at-large for Combating Trafficking in Persons, Ms Janna Davidsson, National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings, and Ms Elisabeth Dahlin, the Ombudsman for Children.

A delegation of GRETA carried out an evaluation visit to Iceland on 7-9 November 2022 as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The GRETA delegation held consultations with officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, the Ministry of Education and Children, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Prosecutor’s Office, the Police, the Centre for Police Training and Professional Development, the Directorate of Immigration, the National Agency for Children and Families, and Reykjavík City social and child protection services.

A delegation of GRETA carried out an evaluation visit to Lithuania on 12-15 December 2022 as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. During the visit, the GRETA delegation held consultations with Mr Vitalij Dmitrijev, Vice-Minister of the Interior, and officials from the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.

A delegation of GRETA carried out an evaluation visit to Andorra on 13-15 December 2022 as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. During the visit, the GRETA delegation met with the Secretary of State for Justice and the Interior, Mr Joan Antoni León Peso, the Secretary of State for Economy and Companies, Mr Eric Barolomé, as well as with representatives from the Ministry of Justice and the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth and Equality.

On 3 October 2022 the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe together with the Cypriot NGO “Step up Stop Slavery” organised an expert round-table discussion on “Access to compensation and effective remedies for victims of trafficking in human beings”, in Nicosia, Cyprus. The aim of the event was to provide the Cypriot authorities with a comparative legal analysis and practical examples of access to compensation for victims of trafficking in human beings, particularly through state compensation schemes.

On 18 October 2022, the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe organised a round-table meeting to discuss progress made by Croatia in the implementation of GRETA’s third report, published on 3 December 2020, and the related Committee of the Parties’ recommendations  to the Croatian authorities, adopted on 4 December 2020.

On 8 September 2022, the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe organised a round-table meeting to discuss progress made by the Republic of Moldova in the implementation of the third report of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), published on 3 December 2020, and the related Committee of the Parties’ recommendation to the Moldovan authorities.

On 22 September 2022, the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe organised a round-table meeting to discuss progress made by Albania in the implementation of the third report of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), published on 15 December 2020, and the related Committee of the Parties’ recommendation to the Albanian authorities.