The European Parliament approved the fight against prostitution by punishing clients

The European Parliament approved a resolution on Thursday that advocates combating prostitution by punishing clients. The decision was praised by the Portuguese Platform for Women’s Rights (PpDM), but was not endorsed by other organizations.

The logic of punishing clients who use prostitution services is a policy that has already been adopted in some European countries and is the subject of an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

The non-binding resolution was approved by 234 MPs (175 against and 122 abstaining) in a vote that divided all political groups at the plenary session in Strasbourg.

The text, led by German MEP Maria Neuhl (Socialists and Democrats), calls on European Union (EU) countries to adopt the “Scandinavian model” – Sweden was the first country in 1999 to punish sex buyers. This model has also been adopted by Ireland and France.

The European Parliament asks member states to “ensure that requesting, accepting or receiving a sexual act from a person in exchange for remuneration, the promise of remuneration, an advantage in kind or the promise of such an advantage is punishable as a criminal offence.”

The proposal also advocates criminal sanctions against pimps. But he argues that prostitutes themselves should not be punished, as is the case in countries such as Croatia and Lithuania.

Although prostitution is legal and regulated in some countries (notably Germany, the Netherlands and Austria), the text argues that differences in approaches across the EU encourage organized crime.

“This report (…) illuminates the way forward: creating exit programs and alternatives, eradicating poverty and social exclusion, breaking down stereotypes and inequalities, and reducing demand by addressing customer concerns,” Maria Neucle said after the vote, as quoted by Agence France-Presse ( AFP).

A similar text was already approved by the European Parliament in February 2014.

The document’s approval was classified as a “victory” by the Portuguese Platform for Women’s Rights (PpDM), which coordinates the European Women’s Lobby in Portugal and is a member of a coalition of more than 120 abolitionist organizations.

“This was a vote for the survivors: for those who escaped, and for those who continue to be trapped in systemic violence and the exploitation of prostitution, and who deserve a better future,” the PPDM defense said in a statement.

According to the Platform, the approval of the report presented by MEP Maria Neuhl is “a milestone for women in Europe, as they represent 90% of people involved in prostitution and 87% of victims of sex trafficking.”

PpDM emphasizes that “an abolitionist approach seeks to ensure victims of prostitution have the tools to reclaim their power” while “placing the burden of stigma and shame on so-called ‘sex buyers’ who believe that consent is freely given can buy “.

In contrast, Dutch MEP Sophie in’t Veld (Renew Europe, Centrists and Liberals) complained of a “purely ideological resolution” that would “do nothing to protect the rights and safety of sex workers.”

In a similar vein, thirteen non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, grouped under the European Coalition for Sex Workers’ Rights and Inclusion, called in early September for the report’s retraction.

These NGOs argue that criminalizing clients increases sex workers’ instability and vulnerability to violence and infectious diseases.

They also recall that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has found admissible a petition by 260 sex workers to overturn the French 2016 law. The court is expected to rule on the merits of the case in the coming months.