ABSTRACT
The law on THB in Europe co-exists with the Palermo Protocol but goes significantly further, both in terms of law enforcement and in victim protection and assistance. This chapter discusses the principal instruments on THB adopted by the Council of Europe and the European Union, the 'hard law', as it were. All EU Member States are parties to the Council of Europe Convention. Reference is made also to non-binding measures, including those adopted by the OSCE. The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings was adopted in 2005. Trafficking had not been an issue before the European Court of Human Rights until 2010. In terms of its scope, the European legal regime on THB is the most advanced regional system in the world. The monitoring system operated by GRETA and the Committee of the Parties is a crucial element in holding States to account, and it is vital that it continues to function effectively.
