Drug strategy
Europe & drugs
Drug trafficking crosses national borders and trends in drug use can spread rapidly within an area of free movement. European countries can best tackle drugs by working together.
European Union Drugs Strategy
The Council of the European Union endorsed a new EU Drugs Strategy for 2005-2012 in December 2004. It aims to protect public health, to offer a high level of security for the general public and to take a balanced, integrated approach to the drugs problem. The Strategy is in full accordance with the United Nations Drug Control Conventions.
The EU Drugs Strategy complements the national strategies of Member States. It concentrates on demand and supply reduction, while also highlighting international cooperation and research and evaluation.
Two consecutive EU Drugs Action Plans – based on this Strategy – will describe specific interventions and actions. A final evaluation of the Strategy will be carried out by the European Commission in 2012. By this time, progress should have been made on all of the priorities set out in the Strategy.
European Union Drugs Action Plans
The ultimate aim of the EU Drugs Action Plan is to significantly reduce the prevalence of drug use among the population and to reduce the social harm and health damage caused by the use of and trade in illicit drugs. It provides a framework for a balanced approach to reducing both supply and demand through a number of specific actions.
These actions have been chosen on the basis of the following criteria:
- Actions at EU level must offer clear added value and results must be realistic and measurable.
- Actions must be cost-effective and contribute directly to the achievement of at least one of the goals or priorities set out in the EU Drugs Strategy.
- The number of actions in each field should be targeted and realistic.
The Action Plan leaves full scope for local, regional, national and transnational actions, while encouraging actions that are mutually supportive. Responsibility for implementation of actions and deadlines are clearly indicated in the Plan.
The European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol will help the European Commission to keep track of implementation of the Action Plan. The Commission will carry out an assessment in 2008 before proposing a second Action Plan for 2009-2012. A final evaluation of the Plans will be carried out by the Commission in 2012.
Key organisations
