On 13 June, the Heads of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), European Police Office (Europol), European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA), European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), EU Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust), European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) signed a Joint Statement to strengthen their commitment to a coordinated, coherent and comprehensive response to trafficking in human beings.

In line with Commission policy priorities, and as a key deliverable of the Commission Communication of 4 December 2017 on trafficking in human beings, the ten EU Agencies commit in the Joint Statement to continue assisting EU Member States in implementing the EU Anti-trafficking Directive, stepping up the focus on prevention in addressing the whole trafficking chain and countering the culture of impunity for perpetrators, abusers and exploiters; improve victims' access to their rights, adopting a gender specific and child sensitive approach, and to intensify coordination efforts, information sharing and training. This strengthened commitment, which is built on the work conducted since the signing of the first Joint Statement in 2011; will deepen the multidisciplinary approach to trafficking in human beings.

The signing event took place in the context of the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator's mandate and in the presence of the EU Network of National Rapporteurs and Equivalent Mechanisms on trafficking in human beings.