As understood by the Protocol, trafficking in human beings includes the illegal transport of people for the purposes of labor exploitation and sexual exploitation. The trafficking enterprise poses problems in the areas of migration, crime, human rights, labor, and health. States can face problems as countries of origin from which immigrants leave; countries of transit through which illegal immigrants pass; and destination countries, where the immigrants settle. Trafficking in women has been targeted by the international community for many decades; however, the U.N. Protocol was developed because many national laws have been insufficient tools for combating the new forms of trafficking in persons. The Trafficking Protocol was opened for signatories in December 2000. Almost 80 states signed it at the Signing Conference in Palermo, Italy. As of August 2002, there were 106 signatories and 14 ratifications. The Protocol enters into force when 40 member states have ratified it. Although primarily a law enforcement instrument, the Trafficking Protocol also encompasses the protection of victims of trafficking, as it aims at keeping a balance between the penal and the human rights perspective on trafficking. The Protocol has three main purposes: to prevent and combat trafficking, to protect and assist the victims, and to promote cooperation among states in meeting the other objectives of the Protocol. The European Union adopted a framework decision on combating trafficking in human beings in June 2002. The aim is to establish commonly adopted definitions and penalties in the member states' legislation. These definitions are largely based on the definitions of the U.N. Protocol. There are also several European Union programs that contribute to actions aimed at supporting, assisting, and protecting victims of trafficking. 11 references