In a recent move, the European Parliament has passed a resolution against the decriminalization of prostitution. The decision to pass the resolution titled ‘Resolution of 14 September 2023 on the Regulation of Prostitution in the EU: its cross-border implications and impact on gender equality and women’s rights’ is seen as an extension of the member states’ obligation to promote an inclusive society and cater particularly to protecting women who are in vulnerable positions and situations.
This resolution is essentially aimed at addressing the disparities that exist among EU member states in terms of laws and regulations governing prostitution. The drafters of the resolution have raised concerns over how these differences in regulations have been providing an operational ground for organized crime groups and individuals.
For instance, countries including Germany and the Netherlands have legalized prostitution, which according to the resolution is “a system organised for profit which is intrinsically violent, discriminatory and deeply inhuman” and is a violation of EU’s human rights goals. Meanwhile, a few other countries like Sweden, France, Spain, and Ireland use the Nordic/Equality Model which criminalizes the act of purchasing sex but does not penalize individuals who are engaged in prostitution or are trafficked.
Whilst the parliament has declined an EU-wide implementation of this Nordic/Equality Model, statistics incorporated within the resolution demonstrate that this model has led to a cut in demand for sex work while concurrently decreasing the overall rates of violence against sex workers.
Nevertheless, the rejection of the Nordic/Equality Model has been applauded by the Human Rights Watch (HRW). According to HRW’s statement, evidence from France and Ireland showed this model encouraging an uptick in murders, police violence, exclusion from social services, along with other adverse consequences that are generally directed at sex workers. HRW, contradicting the EU parliament’s stance, is emphatic that the act of criminalizing adult, voluntary, and consensual sex including the commercial exchange of sexual services interferes with the human right to personal autonomy and privacy.
It is crucial to understand that this resolution is non-binding in nature and only serves to set a generalized goal intended towards protecting individuals from prostitution and sex trafficking.