Council Resolution

of 27 November 2003

on the posting of liaison officers, with particular expertise in drugs to Albania

(2004/C 97/03)

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(1) considering that the European Union drugs strategy 2000-2004 states that effective combating of drug trafficking requires improved cooperation between competent departments in the Member States and third countries (section VI.A);

(2) bearing in mind that the European Union action plan on drugs 2000-2004 promotes international cooperation and gives priority in international anti-drug efforts to those regions of the world that either produce drugs or through which drugs transit on their way to the European Union (section 5.2.1);

(3) bearing in mind that the mid-term evaluation of the European Union action plan on drugs 2000-2004 (Doc. 12451/3/02 Cordrogue 80 Rev. 3) states that the resources spent by the Union on drug-related activities in any particular region outside the Union should reflect the significance of that region for the drugs problem in Europe;

(4) considering that the stabilisation and association process which the EU has begun with the countries of South-Eastern Europe envisages the conclusion of an important agreement with Albania (SAA-Albania), which is to include the Parties' commitment to contribute by all available means to political, economic and institutional stabilisation in Albania and the region, to be implemented partly through wide-ranging cooperation in justice and home affairs, which, for illicit drugs, will involve measures to combat drug trafficking, to reduce drug supply and demand and to ensure more effective control of precursors;

(5) considering that the EU drugs action plan implementation paper on demand and supply reduction (Cordrogue 40) stipulates that the resources spent by the EU on drugs-related actions should take into consideration drug production zones and transit routes and explicitly mentions Albania;

(6) considering that the action plan between the European Union and countries of the Western Balkans and the candidate countries (Doc. 5062/2/03 Cordrogue 3 Rev. 2 COWEB 76) is open to the participation of third countries situated along the Balkan routes and that an explicit objective of the action plan is the establishment of coordination structures, with Albania amongst others;

(7) bearing in mind that the London Statement concluding the London Conference on organised crime in South Eastern Europe of 25 November 2002 devotes particular attention to the joint effort against the most important aspects of organised crime, which include drug trafficking, and that a specific action plan was outlined for Albania;

(8) whereas with the declaration of the Thessaloniki Summit between the EU and the Western Balkan States of 21 June 2003, the SAP countries reaffirmed their commitment to the Stabilisation and Association Process and in particular their willingness to define and implement measures to tackle organised crime;

(9) bearing in mind that the conclusions of the ministerial conference held on May 21-22, 2003, concerning the "drug routes from Central Asia to Europe" ("Paris Pact"), reaffirm the commitment of the international community in promoting coordinated strategies on the fight against drugs with the support of UNODC;

(10) considering that the amounts of cannabis seized in Italy and Greece from Albanian nationals have increased from quantities measured in grammes in 1991 to quantities now measured in tons, and that cannabis is smuggled on from such countries to many other European Union countries;

(11) considering that for some years Albanian criminal gangs have been trafficking heavily in illicit substances (cannabis, cultivated in Albania, heroin and cocaine which are not produced in Albania) bound for numerous EU Member States, and that they collaborate in this traffic with South American and other different organized crime groups operating in Albania and other areas of Balkan region;

(12) bearing in mind that official reports on enforcement operations in Albania's neighbouring countries have drawn attention to the extreme and increasing dangers of the Albania coasts, from which huge consignments of cannabis, cocaine and heroin are shipped, and have highlighted the fact that all over Europe, criminal organisations engaged in drug trafficking are constantly found to include Albanian members;

(13) bearing in mind that the Memorandum of Understanding of the Customs Assistance Mission to Albania (CAM-A) provides for assistance to be given to the competent Albanian authorities in preventing illicit movements of goods, relying where necessary on naval units of Italy's Guardia di Finanza stationed in the port of Durres for the monitoring of Albanian territorial waters, pursuant to ad hoc protocol signed by the competent authorities of both countries;

(14) considering that an expected result of the Police Assistance Mission of the European Community to Albania (PAMECA) is to improve the capacity of the Albanian police to investigate and counter organise crime, including trafficking in drugs (point 2.3.1);

(15) taking into account that Council Decision 2003/170/JHA of 27 February 2003 provides for the common use of liaison officers posted abroad by the law enforcement agencies of the Member States in order to establish and maintain contacts with the authorities of those countries so as to contribute to preventing or investigating criminal offences,

MEMBER STATES ARE INVITED TO:

(16) consider the opportunity of posting, or to use when already in place, on a voluntary basis, and in accordance with their national law, liaison officers, with particular expertise in drugs to Albania and other countries in the Balkans, with the aim of increasing the efficiency of the action against drugs through a careful monitoring activity and an exchange of information with the competent national authorities, both on drug supply and demand-related issues;

(17) take steps to ensure that their liaison officers, with particular expertise in drugs, establish direct contact with the competent Albanian authorities with a view to facilitating and increasing the collection and exchange of information;

(18) set up a coordinating mechanism among the abovementioned liaison officers, in order to ensure a constant exchange of information on their activities and to foster common understanding. To that end, regular meetings will be arranged among the same officers, on the basis of the procedure envisaged by Art. 4.1 of Decision 2003/170/JHA. Where appropriate, the Commission and Europol will be invited to these meetings. The competent Albanian authorities, if necessary, will be associated to such meetings;

(19) arrange, in accordance with Article 5.3 and 7.1 of the Decision 2003/170/JHA, the exchange of relevant information with the Member States, which do not have liaison officers, with particular expertise in drugs, in Albania. The exchange of information can also be conducted via the Europol Liaison Officers' network;

(20) channel, to the competent national departments, the information concerning drugs and its related illicit trafficking to and from Albania, received from the liaison officers, with particular expertise in drugs, and from the various international organisations operating in the Balkans,

(21) inform the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union - which will relay the information to the other Member States, to Europol and to the European Commission - on the posting of the liaison officers, with particular expertise in drugs, to Albania;

(22) ensure that every six months the Member State, which has chaired the latest meeting as to point 18), files a report to the Horizontal Working Party on Drugs on the situation in Albania and in the entire Balkan area, the actions undertaken, the actions planned and the results achieved. On this purpose, direct contacts will be also maintained with the Dublin Group.