The international consultant, Mr Madis Vainomaa (from the International Centre for Migration Policy Development - ICMPD), and the local consultant, Ms Brankica Grupkovic (lawyer), presented on the 30th of May an expert opinion on a possible revision of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Treatment of Victims of Human Trafficking dated 2009 with a focus on the SOP measures which are linked to the transnational referral for victims of human trafficking in Serbia.

The opinion includes recommendations for the improvements of the system of referral with a view to strengthening the transnational co-operation in all its phases, from identification and first-level assistance to return and reintegration of human trafficking victims.

Representatives of Serbian key institutions in charge of preventing and combating trafficking in human beings as well as representatives of civil society and international organisations have contributed to the ensuing discussion in a fruitful and constructive way.

Mitar Djuraskovic, the National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, expressed his intention to bring the expert opinion to the attention of the Working Group for the monitoring and implementation of the National Anti-trafficking Strategy and Action Plan and to promote a reflection on possible future steps.

The expert opinion and its presentation are organised as part of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey”, a co-operation initiative co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe, which aims at assisting beneficiaries in South-East Europe to comply with the Council of Europe standards and European Union acquis in the framework of the enlargement process.