Estonia

Level 6 Almost Fully Enabled

Recognition of Same-Sex Union

 Cohabitation agreement from 2016[354]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

Estonia

Fully prostitution enabled,

Population: 1,299,371

Estonian Penal Code

Prostitution: Legal

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"...[T]he Minister of Justice Rein Lang of the liberal Estonian Reform Party and the Minister of Social Affairs Jaak Aab of the Estonian Centre Party, have expressed their support for the ban on buying sex....

The general opinion in Estonia does not support the key ministers' views. According to Helve Kase, Head of the Department of Women's Studies for the Estonian Institute for Open Society Research, the prostitutes are generally not viewed as victims.... According to the most recent survey from 2003, almost a third of Estonians supported punishing the prostitutes' clients. Nearly half of the women were in favour of penalizing the prostitutes. More than half of the respondents gave their support to the existing system, which forbids pimping."

"Estonia Also Considering Criminalisation of Purchase of Sex," Helsingin Sanomat, Sep. 1, 2006

Faroe Islands
(Constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark)

Level 3

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1933
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level:

1.Life= ; 2.Health= ; 3.Mental= ; 4.Rape= ; 5.Defect= ; 6.Social= ;

7.Demand= ;

Iceland

Level 7 Fully Enabled

 Legal since 2010[363][364]

Level:

1.Life= ; 2.Health= ; 3.Mental= ; 4.Rape= ; 5.Defect= ; 6.Social= ;

7.Demand= ;

Iceland

Population: 306,694

Excerpts including Chapter XXII on Sexual Offences from the General Penal Code of Iceland

Prostitution: Limited Legality
Selling sexual services is legal. Paying for sexual services is illegal.

In 2007, buying and selling sexual services was legalized as long as third parties did not profit from the earnings of prostitutes. In Apr. 2009 the Icelandic Parliament passed legislation to prohibit paying for prostitution.

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"The Icelandic Parliament has passed a new legislation which makes paying for prostitution illegal. Those caught paying for prostitution could face a fine or up to one year in prison...

Iceland is the third country to outlaw the purchase of prostitution. Sweden was the first country to ban the buying of sex in 1999 and Norway followed suit earlier this year. In Finland, a ban on purchasing sexual services from victims of human trafficking was introduced in 2007.

Before this change in legislation, selling and buying sexual services was legal in Iceland. Selling sex was illegal in the country until 2007, when a change in the general penal code decriminalized prostitutes and criminalized profiting on the prostitution of others.

Opinion polls have shown that up to 70% of the population supports banning the purchase of sexual services."

Centre for Gender Equality, "A New Law Makes Purchasing Sex Illegal in Iceland," www.jafnretti.is, Apr. 21, 2009

Latvia

Level 4

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1992
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

Latvia

Fully prostitution enabled,

Population: 2,231,503

Latvia Regulations

Prostitution: Legal
Requires monthly health check.

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"A Swedish documentary on Latvian sex workers snowballed into a major controversy in Riga this week, drawing harsh remarks from top government officials and ministries, which are considering lawsuits against the director.

Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga called 'Buy Bye Beauty' by Pål Hollander 'political propaganda' that didn't meet standards of objectivity. Hollander's movie, recently shown at the Gothenburg Film Festival, depicted a gloomy picture of the sex industry in Latvia. Hollander interviewed a number of people involved with the Latvian pornography industry while making the film, many of them prostitutes. Based on his interviews, the filmmaker claimed there are about 18,000 prostitutes in Latvia. According to official statistics, there are 2500 to 3000 prostitutes in the country. Hollander also claimed that about 50 percent of Latvian women have had sex for money."

Feb. 19, 2001, Ieva RaubiÅ¡ko, "Sex Industry Sparks Controversy," Central Europe Review

Lithuania

Level 4

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1993
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

Lithuania

Population: 3,555,179

Prostitution: Illegal

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"Prostitution is illegal but remained a problem. The penalty is a fine of 300 to 500 litas (approximately $124 to $207) for a single offense and up to 1,000 litas ($415) for repeat offenses. In the first eight months of the year, police charged 72 women with administrative violations for prostitution...

The law prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including by children; however, there were reports that women and children were trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. Trafficked women and girls in forced prostitution worked on streets, in illegal brothels, or as call girls."

US Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, "2008 Human Rights Report: Lithuania," www.state.gov, Feb. 25, 2009

Norway

Level 7 Fully Enabled

Same-Sex Marriage

 Legal since 2009[374][375]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

Norway

Population: 4,660,539

Prostitution: Limited Legality
Selling sexual services is legal. Purchasing sex is illegal.

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"A new law has come into force in Norway making the purchase of sex illegal.

Norwegian citizens caught paying for prostitutes at home or abroad could face a hefty fine or a six-month prison sentence, authorities say.

The prison sentence could be extended to three years in cases of child prostitution.

The Norwegian authorities say they want to stamp out sex tourism and street prostitution by targeting clients rather than prostitutes...

The tough new measures go further than similar ones introduced by other Nordic countries such as Sweden and Finland.

Norwegian police have been authorised to use wire-tapping devices to gather evidence.

There has already been a visible decrease in women working on the streets of central Oslo, local media report.

Prostitutes will be offered access to free education and health treatment for those with alcohol or drugs problems."

BBC News, "New Norway Law Bans Buying of Sex," www.news.bbc.co.uk, Jan. 1, 2009

Sweden

Level 7 Fully Enabled

Same-Sex Marriage

 Legal since 2009[378]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

Sweden

Population: 9,059,651

Swedish Penal Code 

Prostitution: Limited Legality
Since 1999 selling sex is not a crime but the buying of sex is. Buyers face fines and up to 6 months in prison.

Brothel Ownership: Illegal
Punishment includes up to 4 years in prison.

Pimping: Illegal

"In Sweden, prostitution is officially acknowledged as a form of male sexual violence against women and children. One of the cornerstones of Swedish policies against prostitution and trafficking in human beings is the focus on the root cause, the recognition that without men's demand for and use of women and girls for sexual exploitation, the global prostitution industry would not be able flourish and expand."

Gunilla Ekberg, "The Swedish Law that Prohibits the Purchase of Sexual Services," Violence Against Women, Oct. 2004

 Akrotiri and Dhekelia
(Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)

Level 3

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 2000
+ UN decl. sign.[38][381][382]

Level:

1.Life= ; 2.Health= ; 3.Mental= ; 4.Rape= ; 5.Defect= ; 6.Social= ;

7.Demand= ;

 Albania

Level 4

Same Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1995
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

 Albania

Population: 3,639,453

Prostitution: Illegal

Brothel Ownership:Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"The law prohibits prostitution; however, it remained a problem...

The country was a source country for trafficking of women and children for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor, although there has been a slow but steady decline in the number of persons trafficked each year. Greece is the main country of destination for trafficked women. Italy, Macedonia, and Kosovo were also destinations, with many victims trafficked onward to Western Europe. Traffickers largely used overland routes or falsified documents to transport their victims by airplane or ferry. Police and shelter representatives continued to report a trend of traffickers moving females from villages and smaller towns to larger cities for forced prostitution in hotels and private homes."

Andorra

Level 4

Recognition of Same-Sex Union

 Stable union since 2005[385]; Civil union since 2014.[386]

Level: 1

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=N ; 3.Mental=N ; 4.Rape=N ; 5.Defect=N ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Level 3

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1998 in theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,Republika Srpska since 2000 and Brcko District since 2001
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

Bulgaria

Level 4

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1968
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=2 ; 3.Mental=1 ; 4.Rape=1 ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=1 ;

7.Demand=1 ;

Bulgaria

Population: 7,204,687

Penal Code of Bulgaria

Prostitution: Limited Legality
Prostitution is not specifically addressed in the law.

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"Prostitution now exists in a legal gray area in Bulgaria, a small but important country for the European sex trade. Women are sent abroad by the thousands each year to work as prostitutes, often against their will, and many others are forced into prostitution within the country’s borders.

Opponents of legal prostitution argue that illegal operations flourish in environments where paying for sex is permitted, and that human trafficking follows the demand. The goal of prohibiting sex-for-money is to reduce the demand, and thus curtail trafficking if not stamp it out entirely...

While the front-burner issue in Bulgaria is the export of women into forced prostitution abroad, Ms. [Antoaneta]Vassileva of the antitrafficking commission said that 45 percent of trafficking takes place within the country, often from poor rural villages to the big cities and resorts along the Black Sea coast. The country’s chief prosecutor, Boris Velchev, who was at the forum, described what he called a double standard' in the treatment of those forced into prostitution abroad and attitudes toward those domestically, who he said receive less attention and are more likely to be blamed than treated as victims."

Nicholas Kulish, "Joining Trend, Bulgaria Won't Allow Prostitution," New York Times, Oct. 6, 2007

 Cyprus

Level 4

Recognition of Same-Sex Union

 Civil Unions since 2015 [393]

Level: 5

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=? ;

7.Demand=N ;

Gibraltar
(Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)

Level 5

Recognition of Same-Sex Union

 Civil partnership since 2014[396]

Level:

1.Life= ; 2.Health= ; 3.Mental= ; 4.Rape= ; 5.Defect= ; 6.Social= ;

7.Demand= ;

 Greece

Level 4

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1951
(Age of consent discrepancy)
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

 Greece

Fully prostitution enabled,

Population: 10,737,428

Prostitution: Legal
Prostitutes must be at least 21, register, and have health checks every 2 weeks.

Brothel Ownership: Legal

Pimping: Legal

"Greece, whose ancient civilisation introduced the world to high class prostitutes in the sixth century BC, has at last decided to salute their contribution to society.

Athens has announced that its economy is 25% bigger than thought thanks, in part, to the round-the-clock duties of the country's prostitutes, who were known as hetairai in ancient times. The Greek authorities are revising the country's gross domestic product (GDP) after deciding that the black market should be included in the figures."

Nicholas Watt, "Greek Economy Up 25% - With a Little Help From Prostitutes," Guardian, Sep. 30, 2006

 Italy

Level 4

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1890
Legal in parts ofFriuli-Venezia Giulia, along with Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirolsince 1919
(Illegal in parts ofFriuli-Venezia Giulia, illegal in parts of Veneto, along with Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirolfrom 1943-1945 under annexation of Nazi Germany)
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=1 ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=1 ;

7.Demand=1 ;

 Italy

Fully prostitution enabled,

Population: 58,126,212

Prostitution: Legal

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal
Procurement and living on the earnings of a woman in prostitution is prohibited.

"Italian prostitutes marched through one of the country's oldest university towns in protest over new measures to clamp down on soliciting. Bystanders stood opened-mouthed as hundreds of women danced and sang their way in colourful procession through the streets of Padua in protest against a crackdown by the Mayor, which would grant police the power to issue Â£30 on-the-spot fines to their clients.

The council says targeting clients is its only option, given that prostitution is legal in Italy - despite the ordinarily hard moral line from the Vatican. But the prostitutes have devised a way to counteract the penalties - by issuing pink coupons to their clients promising to refund the fine 'in kind'. The council claims that prostitution has fallen 70 per cent since the new rules came in last week, but the prostitutes said they have merely moved to quieter areas."

"Italian Prostitutes Protest at Clampdown," Marie Claire, May 17, 2007

Macedonia

Level 2

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1996
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level: 7 Fully Enabled to terminate unborn children

1.Life=Y ; 2.Health=Y ; 3.Mental=Y ; 4.Rape=Y ; 5.Defect=Y ; 6.Social=Y ;

7.Demand=Y ;

 Malta

Level 7 Fully Enabled

Same-Sex Marriage

/ Marriage performed abroad recognised since 2014[407][408]

Recognition of Same-Sex Union

 Civil union since 2014[407]

Level: 0

1.Life=N ; 2.Health=N ; 3.Mental=N ; 4.Rape=N ; 5.Defect=N ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

Malta

Population: 405,165

Criminal Code of Malta 

Prostitution: Illegal

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"The law prohibits prostitution, and the government effectively enforced it. The law provides for sentences of several months to two years in prison. From January through June, the police arraigned 27 persons on 49 charges (counting repeat arrests) for offences related to prostitution. There were a number of prosecutions during the year...

The country is a destination for women trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. On July 6 authorities charged three men with forcing a Swedish woman into prostitution. According to police, two separate investigations in 2007 led to the arrest of seven persons for the tRepublic of Irelandrafficking of eight Russian and Ukrainian women for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There was also anecdotal evidence that women from Serbia, Romania, and other eastern European countries may have been trafficked to the country for forced prostitution."

US Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, "2008 Human Rights Report: Malta," www.state.gov, Feb. 25, 2009

Montenegro

Level 4

Same-Sex Sexual Activity

 Legal since 1977 (As part ofYugoslavia)
+ UN decl. sign.[38]

Level:

1.Life= ; 2.Health= ; 3.Mental= ; 4.Rape= ; 5.Defect= ; 6.Social= ;

7.Demand= ;

Portugal

Level 7 Fully Enabled

Same-Sex Marriage

 Legal since 2010[414]

Level: 5

1.Life=1 ; 2.Health=1 ; 3.Mental=1 ; 4.Rape=1 ; 5.Defect=1 ; 6.Social=N ;

7.Demand=N ;

Portugal

Fully prostitution enabled,

Population: 10,707,924

Prostitution: Legal

Brothel Ownership: Illegal

Pimping: Illegal

"Prostitution in Quarteira has been steadily rising over the past years, mainly due to the influx of immigrant women from Eastern Europe, Brazil and Africa. At the moment there are 80 street prostitutes in Quarteira, according to AIDS Support Movement...

They sell their services for as little as €20 and many times must settle for less as the interested parties haggle and the harsh competition forces them to accept the cheaper price.

Their clientele is extremely varied; labourers, doctors, lawyers, tourists, students and even the elderly drive down the street at an idle speed to satisfy their urge, explained the psychologist who has been helping women protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases for the past seven years.

The AIDS Support Movement distributes condoms and information pamphlets teaching prostitutes how to put on a condom even if the client does not want to use one...

In 2007 there were 80 prostitutes working in Quarteira, 78 women and two transsexuals, 65% of them were foreign."

"Quarteira Protesting Prostitution," Portugal News, Aug. 30, 2008