The discussions on Marianne Eriksson's (GUE/NGL) report on the influence of the sex industry on the EU started with a hearing where a number of international experts gathered in the European Parliament on January the 19th, 2004. Willie O' Dea, minister of state at the Irish Justice department, representing the Irish Presidency at the hearing, stated that the Irish government will look into the question of a ban on paying for sex in the coming months.

"It has not been considered in any meaningful way at European level yet, but certainly it is something which will have to be considered during the Irish presidency", he stated.

According to Eriksson, the focus in the report is " ... the insidious invasion of the sex industry of our daily lives. Only a few years ago, if you wanted pornography and prostitution you really had to look for it; today we have to make an effort to avoid it. We come across sex for sale in our e-mails, in our mobile phones and on television on a daily basis."

Aware of the difficulties ahead, Eriksson remarks: "We are faced with a very wealthy and powerful industry, one of the richest in the world, which is quoted on several stock exchanges. For example, Private Media Group Inc (Swedish) and Beate Uhse AG (German) have established themselves on the Nasdaq and Frankfurt stock exchanges. Such a well-equipped industry can easily remain one step ahead of law makers, and can profit from any existing gaps in the law, for example, in relation to internet and audiovisual policy. In my report, I demand that the Commission and the EU Member States act to fill those gaps".

Eriksson also observes that the arguments for legalising prostitution, which she opposes, are nothing new: "Prostitution was first regulated in Athens in 600 BC. Female slaves, prisoners-of-war, or women from other states or without families were used for prostitution. They paid taxes and were controlled by the State. When you read about how it was then and compare it to Europe today, it appears that very little has changed. Only the 1999 Swedish law, which penalises the customer allows a unique focus on the demand side. For the first time in history, prostitutes are treated as equal to other women and men are made accountable."

Janice Raymond, Professor Emerita of Women’s Studies and Medical Ethics at the University of Massachusetts and Co-Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women addressed the hearing. She is concerned about how the sex industry has changed the language of the business, which in turn changes the reality: "The sex industry thrives on renaming its sexual exploitation as 'sex'. Pornography is called 'erotica' or 'adult videos'; prostitution is renamed 'sex work' or 'sexual services'; pimps are now called 'third party business managers' or 'erotic entrepreneurs' and lap dancing or sex clubs are called 'gentlemen's entertainment'."

The report will be voted in the Committee of Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities on 18 February 2004 and be voted in plenary at the beginning of March.

Related documents

The report in english
Janice Raymonds speech
10 reasons
Report from november 2002
Prostitution laws in the EU member states