15.4.2011 Official Journal of the European Union L 101/1 (Legislative acts) | DIRECTIVES DIRECTIVE 2011/36/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 82(2) and Article 83(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), After consulting the Committee of the Regions, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (3), Whereas: (1) Trafficking in human beings is a serious crime, often committed within the framework of organised crime, a gross violation of fundamental rights and explicitly prohibited by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings is a priority for the Union and the Member States. (2)  This Directive is part of global action against trafficking in human beings, which includes action involving third countries as stated in the ‘Action-oriented Paper on () Opinion of 21 October 2010 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (3) Position of the European Parliament of 14 December 2010 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 21 March 2011. 5 strengthening the Union external dimension on action against trafficking in human beings; Towards global EU action against trafficking in human beings’ approved by the Council on 30 November 2009. In this context, action should be pursued in third countries of origin and transfer of victims, with a view to raising awareness, reducing vulnerability, supporting and assisting victims, fighting the root causes of trafficking and supporting those third countries in developing appropriate anti-traf- ficking legislation. This  Directive  recognises  the  gender-specific phenomenon of trafficking and that women and men are often trafficked for different purposes. For this reason, assistance and support measures should also be gender-specific where appropriate. The ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors may be different depending on the sectors concerned, such as trafficking in human beings into the sex industry or for labour exploitation in, for example, construction work, the agricultural sector or domestic servitude. The Union is committed to the prevention of and fight against trafficking in human beings, and to the protection of the rights of trafficked persons. For this purpose, Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA of 19 July 2002 on combating trafficking in human beings (}), and an EU Plan on best practices, standards and procedures for combating and preventing trafficking in human beings () were adopted. Moreover, the Stockholm Programme — An open and secure Europe serving and protecting citizens (°), adopted by the European Council, gives a clear priority to the fight against trafficking in human beings. Other measures should be envisaged, such as support for the devel- opment of general common indicators of the Union for the identification of victims of trafficking, through the exchange of best practices between all the relevant actors, particularly public and private social services. 03, 1.8.2002, p. 1. oJL2 0J C 311, 9.12.2005, p. 1. ojC1 15, 4.5.2010, p. 1.