7.7.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 186/7 COUNCIL DECISION of 28 June 2001 establishing a second phase of the programme of incentives, exchanges, training and cooperation for persons responsible for combating trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children (Stop II) (2001/514/JHA) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in partic- ular Articles 30(1), 31 and 34(2)(c) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (%), Whereas: 1) Article 29 of the Treaty on European Union states that the Union's objective is to provide citizens with a high level of safety within an area of freedom, security and justice by developing common action among the Member States in the fields of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, and that this objective is to be achieved by preventing and combating trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children. The conclusions of the Tampere European Council call for action against trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children. The nature of the questions addressed makes it essential to have a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach involving the various parties responsible for combating these crimes at European Union level; creating a frame- work for training, information, study and exchange programmes for persons responsible for combating trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children in all its forms is likely to enable these phenomena to be prevented and combated more effec- tively. It is important, in view of the international dimension of trade in human beings and sexual exploitation of chil- dren, to confront the phenomenon at every stage in the chain: recruiters, transporters, exploiters, other interme- diaries and clients. The Stop programme, set up by Council Joint Action 96/700/JHA of 29 November 1996 establishing an incentive and exchange programme for persons respon- sible for combating trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children (), has helped increase awareness within the European Union and step up cooperation between persons in the Member States () O] C 96 E, 27.03.2001, p. 342. (*) Opinion delivered on 5 April 2001 (not yet published in the Offi- cial Journal). () O] L 322, 12.12.1996, p. 7. (12) (13) responsible for combating trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children. The Stop Programme has made clear that the European Union's objectives in combating trade in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children are attained more effectively at European level than by the individual Member States as a result of the exchange of experience, economies of scale and the cumulative impact of the actions undertaken. The renewal of this programme, expressly envisaged by Joint Action 96/700/JHA and expressly requested by the European Parliament in its Resolution of 19 May 2000 entitled ‘On Further Actions in the Fight against Traf- ficking in Women’, will enable this cooperation to be further improved. It is desirable to ensure continuity for the projects supported by the Stop programme and to renew it for a second phase of two years. The programme's activities must be tied in with those carried out under the Daphne programme, which aims to combat violence against children, adolescents and women. It is necessary to take action at Community level to ensure coordination between the projects and facilitate networking between the promoters while respecting the subsidiarity principle. The Stop programme must be opened up further to the applicant countries by facilitating their participation in the projects supported by the programme. The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted in accordance with the procedures set out herein. A financial reference amount, within the meaning of point 34 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improve- ment of the budgetary procedure (%), is included in this Decision for the entire duration of the programme, without thereby affecting the powers of the budgetary authority as they are defined by the EC Treaty, () O] C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1.