JOINT ACTION of 16 December 1996 adopted by the Council on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union extending the mandate given to the Europol Drugs Unit (96/748/JHA)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union and in particular Article K.3 (2) (b) thereof,

Recalling the Joint Action of 10 March 1995 adopted by the Council on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, concerning the Europol Drugs Unit (1), which mandated the Europol Drugs Unit to conduct certain activities to assist Member States in combating certain forms of transnational crime;

Recalling the Council's Act of 26 July 1995 (2) drawing up the text of the Europol Convention signed by the representatives of the governments of all Member States of the European Union;

Recalling that the Convention, on entry into force following adoption by all Member States, will provide Europol with a mandate extending beyond the present mandate of the Europol Drugs Unit, covering other forms of transnational crime, including trafficking in human beings;

Bearing in mind the wish expressed by the European Parliament in its resolutions of 19 September 1996 stressing the importance of combating trafficking in human beings and calling for a role to be given to the Europol Drugs Unit in this field;

Aware of the conclusions adopted by the Vienna Conference on trafficking in women convened by the European Commission and the Austrian Government in June 1996;

Aware of the conclusions adopted by the Stockholm World Conference on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children held from 26 to 31 August 1996;

Having agreed to extend the mandate of the Europol Drugs Unit to include trafficking in human beings,

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

Article 2 (2) of the Joint Action of 10 March 1995 shall be replaced by the following:

'2. The Unit shall act as a non-operational team for the exchange and analysis of information and intelligence, as soon as they affect two or more Member States, in relation to:

(a) illicit drug trafficking,

(b) illicit trafficking in radioactive and nuclear substances,

(c) crimes involving clandestine immigration networks,

(d) traffic in human beings,

(e) illicit vehicle trafficking,

together with the criminal organizations involved and associated money-laundering activities.

For the purposes of this Joint Action, traffic in human beings shall be defined in the Europol Convention.`

Article 2

This Joint Action shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal.

Done at Brussels, 16 December 1996.

For the Council

The President

M. D. HIGGINS

(1) OJ No L 62, 20. 3. 1995, p. 1.

(2) OJ No C 316, 27. 11. 1995, p. 1.