Prostitution in Europe between Regulation and Prohibition: Comparing Legal Situations and Effects

In light of current reform plans of the German Government, the Observatory has therefore carried out wide-ranging research into the regulation of prostitution in other European states. The key issues in the research were: What is permitted and prohibited in other countries and under what conditions? At what levels are legal framework conditions, requirements and prohibitions for prostitution set, and by what means? With this research the Observatory aims to foster a more objective discussion on the various policy approaches to prostitution. This working paper presents selected findings from the research. It is based on several detailed country studies conducted by the Observatory investigating the regulation of prostitution in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands as well as Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.