NoC223/26 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 31.8.92
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)ontheestablishmentofaEuropean
DrugsMonitoringCentreandaEuropeanInformationNetworkonDrugsandDrugAddic­
tion(Reitox)i1)
(92/C223/09)
On11February1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforProtectionoftheEnvironment ,PublicHealthandConsumerAffairs,which
wasresponsibleforpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon
5May1992.TheRapporteurwasMrGomezMartinez.
Atits297thPlenarySession(meetingof26May1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
1.Introduction
1.1.TheRomeEuropeanCouncilof13-14December
1990approvedtheproposalbytheEuropeanCom­
mitteetoCombatDrugs(CELAD)foraEuropeanplan
tocombatdrugs.TheideaofsettingupaEuropean
DrugsMonitoringCentrewasalreadymentionedinthe
plan.
1.2.Thepurposeofthemonitoringcentreistopro­
videobjective,reliableandcomparableinformationat
Europeanlevel,sothattherequisitemeasurescanbe
takentoreducetheillegalconsumption ,production
andtraffickingofdrugs.
1.3.Priorityistobegiventothefollowingareasof
activity:
a)reductionofdemandfordrugs;
b)nationalandCommunitystrategiesandpolicies;
c)internationalcooperationandgeopoliticsofsupply;
d)drugtrafficking;
e)thedrugseconomy.
1.4.TheCommitteeendorsestheproposaltosetup
aEuropeanDrugsMonitoringCentreandInformation
NetworkonDrugsandDrugAddiction.Thenewsys­
temshouldprovideawiderapproachtotheproblem
thanispossibleatnationallevel,whilelinkingmeasures
toreducedemandwiththosetocurbdrugtrafficking .
1.4.1.TheCommitteehopesthatthefinalagree­
mentswilltakeaccountofthefollowinggeneraland
specificcomments .2.GeneralComments
2.1.Drugdependencyinitsvariousformsisamatter
fortheutmostconcern.Thesituationisaggravatedby
thefactthatitcaninsomecasescontributetothespread
ofsuchdangerousdiseasesasAIDSandhepatitis,and
canevenleadtolossoflife,particularlyamongyoung
people.
2.1.1.Wearenotdealingsimplywithahealthprob­
lem:therearealsoserioussocialandeconomicconse­
quences,bothfortheaddict'sfamilyandforsocietyin
general.
2.2.Coordinationofmeasurestoreducetheillegal
production,supplyanddemandfornarcoticdrugsand
psychotropicsubstancesatbothECandinternational
level,aspartofanoverallapproachtotheproblemof
drugsanddrugaddiction,canenhancetheeffectiveness
ofeffortsintheindividualMemberStates.
2.3.InearlierOpinions(2),theCommitteefully
endorsedthestepping-upofmovestostampoutserious
crimelinkedtodrugtrafficking,giventhedamage
whichdrugsinflictonthephysicalandmentalhealth
anddignityofdrug-users,manyofwhomarevery
young.
2.4.Onthedemandside,theneedisforprevention
by:
a)givinginner-cityareasamorehumanface;
b)involvingschoolsanduniversitiesinahealthedu­
cationandinformationprogramme ;
c)aleisurepolicytargetedatyoungpeople;
d)economicandsocialmeasurestocreatejobs;
(i)OJNoC43,18.2.1992,p.2. (2)OJNoC159,17.6.1991andOJNoC332,31.12.1990.

31.8.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC223/27
e)aneffectiverehabilitationpolicytocombatdiscrimi­
nationagainstformerdrugaddictsandtoprovide
supportforpeopleworkingwithyoungdrugvictims.
2.5.AmongthetopicswhichtheEuropeanDrugs
MonitoringCentrecouldconsider,withaviewtogar­
neringusefulinformation ,aretherespectivemerits
oftherepressiveandthepermissiveapproach.The
Committeefeelsitisnecessarytolistentoallpointsof
viewifeffectiveguidelinesaretobedevisedfortackling
drugaddictionandrelatedproblems.
2.5.1.Thevariouspoliciespursuedhithertointhe
MemberStatescouldformafurtherusefulstarting
pointforconsideration .
2.5.2.TheCentrewillalsoprovideaforumforswap­
pinginformationonthevarioustreatmentmethods
usedindifferentcountriesandregions.
2.6.Thefightagainstdrugtraffickingshouldnot
standinthewayofthecommitmenttocreateanarea
withoutfrontiers,althoughithastoberecognizedthat
ports,airportsandevenopenbeachesarewheresome
MemberStatesfinditeasiesttotrackillegaldrugship­
ments.Tothisend,cooperationbetweencustomsser­
vicesandpoliceforcesshouldbeimproved,bothat
nationallevelandbetweenMemberStates.
2.6.1.Thesendingofpoliceandcustomsofficersto
workwiththeiroppositenumbersinotherMember
Statescouldalsobeexplored.Thisisanothermatter
whichtheEuropeanDrugsMonitoringCentrecould
consider.
2.6.2.TheremovaloftheCommunity'sinternal
frontierswillleadtotheredeployment ofcustoms
officials.TheCommitteesuggeststhatthecasebecon­
sideredfordrawingontheexperienceandskillsofthese
officialsinotherareasofthefightagainstdrugs.
3.SpecificComments
3.1.AlthoughtheCommissionproposalfaithfully
followstheCouncilguidelinesitappearscontradictoryonthequestionofefficiency,sinceitgivespriorityto
reducingdemandratherthansupply.
3.1.1.Thefirstrecitalstatesthat'thebriefof(the)
centrewouldcovernotonlythesocialandhealth
aspects,butalsootherdrugs-relatedaspects,including
traffickingandrepression'.
3.1.2.Theninthrecitalspeaksof'informationwhich
willenabletheCommunityandtheMemberStatesto
taketherequisitemeasurestofightagainstconsump­
tion,productionandtraffickingofdrugs'.
3.1.3.Theeleventhrecitalconflictswiththeabove,
instatingthat'informationonthesocialandhealth
aspectsmustbegiventoppriorityintheCentre'swork'.
3.2.Article3—Priorityareasofactivity
Inlinewiththeabovecomments,thewords'in
descendingorderofimportance'shouldbedeleted.
3.3.Article7—Managementboard
3.3.1.Pursuingthesamelineofreasoning,itwould
bebetterifeachMemberStatehadtworepresentatives ,
toaccommodatethetwoMinistrieswithresponsibiliti­
esinthisfield:Health,andJustice/InternalAffairs(UK
HomeOffice).
3.3.2.Sincethedrugsproblemhassocialand
employmentrepercussions ,theCommitteewouldlike
tobeassociatedinanappropriatemannerintheboard's
work.
3.3.3.Forthesamereasons,theannualgeneral
reportonthecentre'sactivitiesshouldalsobeforward­
edtotheCommittee .
DoneatBrussels,26May1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH