Opinion on the communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on a European Union action plan to combat drugs (1995-1999) (96/C 100/10)

The Committee of the Regions decided on 5 December 1994, in accordance with Article 198c of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to draw up an Own-initiative Opinion on the above-mentioned communication.

The Commission for Economic and Social Cohesion, Social Policy and Public Health, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 16 March 1995. The Rapporteur was Mr Wyn.

At its 7th Plenary Session (meeting of 21 April 1995), the Committee of the Regions adopted the following Opinion.

1. Introduction

1.1. The Committee is pleased that the Commission has set out to establish this European action plan. It recognizes the overall threat that drug addiction and drug trafficking bring to the citizens of Europe and agrees that this threat demands a response at all levels from local to Union.

1.2. The Committee particularly emphasizes the need for the involvement of local authorities in any strategy that is to address this problem within local communities. It believes that the problems of drug abuse can be tackled more effectively by a combination of efforts to reduce both the demand for and the supply of illicit drugs. Greater priority should be given to the reduction of demand for drugs than has been the case in the past.

1.3. The Committee agrees that there is need for cooperation at the level of the Union but also encourages the Union to assist its members in creating partnerships within their individual member countries. Local authorities, representing local communities, will play a substantial part in making any such strategy work.

1.4. The Committee welcomes the new possibilities which the Treaty on European Union opens up and the opportunities it offers for all levels of Government to work in partnership with each other.

2. An integrated approach to drugs

2.1. The Committee agrees that to combat drugs all agencies involved need to work closely and in an integrated way, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity.

2.2. It welcomes the three key elements of demand reduction, combatting elicit trafficking and action at the international level. It encourages the Union to acknowledge that on many occasions these overlap and intertwine. An important activity at Union level will be ensuring that the coherence of these actions is pursued and monitored as to its success.

3. Action on demand reduction

3.1. The Committee welcomes the use of Article 129 of the Treaty on European Union as the basis for community action for the purposes of health aspects of the drug problem and has already commented on the proposals in the area of drug prevention.

3.2. The Committee has already commented on the communication and proposal for a decision on a first programme of Community action in the field of drug dependence. Within that action plan we have encouraged the widening of programmes directed at target groups to include housing and employment. Attention needs also to be given to the area of economic development and the creation of new opportunities for people in poor communities who feel trapped into a drug culture.

3.3. The Committee believes that social and occupational reintegration cannot happen until the economic base of the communities within which it is a problem has been addressed. Moves need to be taken to increase the well-being of individuals who are attracted to drugs. The Committee believes that whilst it is important to have specific measures in place to target high risk groups, these must not be allowed to obscure the need for much wider ranging strategy which focuses on this issue throughout all communities.

4. Action to combat illicit trafficking

4.1. All the resources devoted to combatting illicit trafficking have not prevented drugs reaching into the streets and communities.

4.2. We believe that whilst these actions continue, a balance of resources must be established both within the Union and within Member States, by making additional funding available for demand reduction activities.

4.3. The Committee considers that more progress can be made in the area of money laundering and putting in place financial and legal measures to identify profits from drug related activity.

4.4. The Committee supports proposals for new activities that might be used to complement existing activities in areas of Union competence. We believe that exchanges between organizations responsible for reducing drug demand, particularly local and regional government and non-governmental organizations, and drug supply are critically important. The weakness at the moment is at the regional and local government level where there are few organisations established to facilitate such exchanges.

4.5. The Committee urges the Union to encourage the development of multi-regional and multi-local authority exchange and cooperation networks. This issue is not just a city problem, it is also creating considerable problems in rural and suburban areas and consequently any proposal needs to take that into account.

4.6. We recognize the links between drugs and crime. Local authorities and police authorities have a strong common interest in the development of neighbourhood safety strategies within their local communities.

4.7. The Committee encourages the Union to support the transfer of good practice between Member States at both national and local levels.

4.8. The Committee insists on the importance of greater coordination between Member States in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. It is concerned that the removal of borders and customs officers (as agreed in Schengen) is often presented as an argument against further European integration.

4.9. The Committee recommends that a special strategy be in place to upgrade the coastal protection units of the European Union Member States in order to combat the escalating smuggling of drugs by sea.

5. Action at international level

5.1. The Committee recognizes and supports the need for the Union to consolidate that which has already been achieved through Union participation in the broader international fight against drugs and the use of dedicated Union instruments to that effect.

6. Coordination

6.1. The Committee believes that coordination and partnership are some of the necessary ways forward to tackle this particular problem. It encourages the Commission and the Council to continue to consult the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions to ensure that all actions are properly coordinated. Such coordination and partnership would allow for the possibility of regions, cities or rural areas to be in contact with each other and transfer knowledge and expertise.

The Committee supports the organization of a conference which brings together the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions and the Member States to discuss this important topic. The conference could focus on four themes:

- existing responses within Members of the Union;

- the different legal systems;

- the development of demand reduction strategies;

- international aspects: policies towards third world drug producing countries and countries of transit.

6.2. The Committee encourages the Monitoring Centre to fulfil its role as a dissemination point for best practice throughout the European Union, making full use of the REITOX network and ensuring that experience gained at local and regional levels are taken fully into account. Contacts between representatives of regional and local government in the European Union should continue to be strengthened so that they can learn from one another.

6.3. The Committee considers that there is a need for a research information and training strategy that is identified and targeted at key strategic issues identified by the Union and its Member States.

7. Conclusion

7.1. The Committee welcomes the European Union action plan to combat drugs and commits itself to playing its part in the delivery of this strategy as it develops. It wishes to be kept informed as to future developments to allow local authorities to fully contribute.

Done at Brussels, 21 April 1995.

The Chairman of the Committee of the Regions

Jacques BLANC