| Author (Person) | Bower, Helen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 28.5.01 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 28/05/2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
At its meeting on Wednesday 23 May the European Commission adopted a proposal for a framework decision to combat large-scale drug trafficking. The proposal - part of a broader anti-drugs strategy - targets the supply of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. At the time of writing, the text of the proposal was not available. However, according to a Commission press release, the proposal:
The EU's drugs problem Drug abuse and associated issues have been high on the EU's political agenda since the early 1990s. Illicit drug taking impacts on many aspects of society, manifesting itself in a variety of ways including poverty, unemployment, homelessness, social exclusion, delinquency and crime. In terms of the Union's policies, drug abuse and drug trafficking impact on social policy, health policy, justice and home affairs, and external relations (including enlargement). According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction's 2000 Annual report on the state of the drugs problem in the European Union, which summarises trends in drug use, cannabis 'remains the most widely available and commonly used drug across the EU, with substantial increases in use over the 1990s.' The second most commonly used drugs in Europe are amphetamines and ecstasy: 'Following increases in the 1990s, ecstasy use appears to be stabilising or even falling, while amphetamine use is stable or rising.' Cocaine 'is less commonly used than amphetamines or ecstasy, but its use is rising - particularly among socially active groups - and spreading to a broader population.' The Annual Report identifies the proportion of problem drug users in the EU:
(based on per thousand population, aged 15 to 64; 'problem drug users' are defined by the EMCDDA as 'intravenous or long-duration [users] of opiates, cocaine and/or amphetamines'). The EMCDDA says that there is little direct association between the prevalence of problem drug users and national policies on drugs, with countries experiencing similar levels of problem users irrespective of whether their policies are more or less liberal. A more significant factor might be whether or not the country lies on a drug-trafficking route. Most of the heroin seized in the EU originates in South West Asia, and is transported via Central Asia or the Balkans. Cocaine is generally shipped from Colombia, either via the Caribbean or - increasingly - Central and Eastern Europe. Central and Eastern Europe is also a transit region for cannabis entering the EU from Morocco and Pakistan (hashish) or Colombia, Nigeria, South Africa and Thailand (marijuana). Cannabis is cultivated in almost all Member States, although there is currently no large scale trafficking within the Union. Synthetic drugs are produced within the EU and also in Central and Eastern Europe. Given that most illicit drugs consumed in the Member States originate in - and are transported through - other parts of the world, the success of the Union's fight against drugs depends very much on its developing and maintaining good relations with non-member countries and on working with international organisations. EU action on drugs The Union's legal basis for tackling the drugs problem was extended by the Treaty on European Union [pdf]. Under the Treaty, the EU can act to prevent drug dependency (under Article 152 on public health); combat illegal drug trafficking (under Title VI on police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters); and participate in international cooperation (under Title V on the Common Foreign and Security Policy). Drug trafficking was specifically mentioned by the Treaty of Amsterdam in the context of police and judicial co-operation intended to fight crime and ensure citizens' safety (Article 29). Amsterdam also strengthened the operational powers of Europol - the European Police Office (Article 30). The Europol Drugs Unit - EDU - started work in a limited number of areas in January 1994, although the Europol Convention wasn't signed until July 1995 and didn't enter into force until October 1998. The European Council has played a significant role in promoting the Union's fight against drugs. At the 1998 Vienna European Council, the Heads of State and Government invited the institutions 'to develop further an integrated and balanced post-1999 drugs strategy taking into account the new possibilities offered by the Amsterdam Treaty'. In October 1999, the Tampere European Council agreed that drugs trafficking should be one of a limited number of sectors for which 'with regard to national criminal law, efforts to agree on common definitions, incriminations and sanctions should be focused'. The Tampere meeting also emphasised 'the importance of addressing the drugs problem in a comprehensive manner' and asked the Council to adopt the 2000-2004 European Strategy Against Drugs prior to the (then) forthcoming summit meeting in Helsinki. At the Helsinki European Council, leaders took note of the 2000-2004 Strategy, and invited the institutions and bodies concerned 'to proceed rapidly with implementation and report on the initial results by the end of 2002'. The Feira European Council [pdf] reaffirmed the commitment to forging the area of freedom, security and justice defined at Tampere, and endorsed the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2000-2004 ('a crucial instrument for transposing the EU Drugs Strategy 2000-2004 into concrete actions which provide an effective integrated and multidisciplinary response to the drug problem'). Responsibility for coordinating the Commission's anti-drugs activities lies with the Directorate General for Justice and Home Affairs. The Commission's activities include prevention, education, research, health, training, precursors control, money laundering, police, customs and judicial co-operation and international cooperation. The DG also coordinates the Commission's relations with the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and represents the Commission in the Horizontal Drugs Group (HDG) of the Council. The HDG co-ordinates all drugs related issues and reports to the Committee of the Member States' Permanent Representatives to the European Union (Coreper) and the General Affairs Council. European Union Action Plan to Combat Drugs 2000-2004 The Justice and Home Affairs DG is also responsible for coordinating implementation of the European Union Action Plan to Combat Drugs 2000-2004 [pdf]. The main aims of the Action Plan are to:
(There was a previous Action plan to combat drugs, covering 1995-1999). International relations The EU's external relations strategy vis-à-vis drugs has two distinct strands:
The Union's relations with industrialised countries tend to concentrate on information exchange and law enforcement; relations with other countries and regions focus on three types of instruments - political dialogue, trade policy and financial technical support. Further information within European Sources Online: European Sources Online: Topic Guides European Sources Online: European Voice
European Sources Online: Financial Times
Further information can be seen in these external links: European Commission: Justice and Home Affairs DG
European Commission: Health and Consumer Protection DG European Commission: Press and Communication Service
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) SCADPlus Council of the European Union United Nations Council of Europe Eric Davies The European Commission adopted a proposal on 23 May 2001 for a framework decision to combat large-scale drug trafficking. The proposal - part of a broader anti-drugs strategy - targets the supply of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subject Categories | Health, Justice and Home Affairs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
