Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision adopting a programme of Community action on the prevention of drug dependence within the framework for action in the field of public health (1995 to 2000) (94/C 257/04) (Text with EEA relevance) COM(94) 223 final - 94/0135(COD)

(Submitted by the Commission on 22 August 1994)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 129 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,

Whereas drug dependence has grown alarmingly in the Member States and has serious implications for the health of individuals and the welfare of the general public;

Whereas, in creating in 1985 a committee of inquiry into the problem of drugs in the Member States, the European Parliament demonstrated its desire to study in depth the factors which trigger drug demand and enable drugs to continue being produced and distributed;

Whereas in its resolutions (1) concerning this problem the European Parliament formulated a series of proposals with a view, in particular, to Community action on the prevention of drug dependence;

Whereas the European Council, at its meeting in Dublin on 25 and 26 June 1990, stressed that it was the responsibility of each Member State to develop an appropriate drug demand reduction programme and considered that effective action by each Member State, supported by joint action of the Twelve and the Community, should be a main priority over the coming years;

Whereas the actions undertaken at Community level on the basis of the Council resolutions, declarations and conclusions relating to the prevention of drug dependence, and in particular subsequent to the adoption by the European Council, meeting in Rome on 13 and 14 December 1990, of the European plan to combat drugs, have helped to sustain the Member States' efforts;

Whereas these actions need to be continued and consolidated within the framework of the action in the field of public health set out by the Commission communication of 24 November 1993 (2) and must take into account, as the Council requested in its resolution of 17 May 1993 (3), other actions undertaken by the Community in the field of public health or which have an impact on public health;

Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No 302/93 (4) established a European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction to provide the Community and its Member States with reliable and comparable information concerning drugs and drug addiction;

Whereas the declaration on the occasion of the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union adopted by the European Council, meeting in Brussels on 29 October 1993, emphasized that the Treaty provides 'a structured institutional framework, so that in particular greater control can be achieved over those of society's problems that run across frontiers, such as drugs (. . .)`;

Whereas the problems associated with the drugs phenomenon are such that they require a fully coordinated and global strategy, as has been stated by the European Council, meeting in Brussels on 10 and 11 December 1993;

Whereas drug dependence, the only scourge expressly mentioned in the provisions of the Treaty establishing the European Community dealing with public health, is therefore a priority for Community action within the framework for action in the field of public health set out by the Commission;

Whereas this programme forms one of the essential component parts of the communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of 23 June 1994 on a European Union Action Plan to combat drugs (1995 to 1999) (5);

Whereas, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, actions on matters not under the exclusive competence of the Community, such as those on drug dependence, must only be undertaken by the Community when, by reason of their scale or effects, their objectives can be better achieved by the Community;

Whereas cooperation with the competent international organizations and with non-member countries should be strengthened;

Whereas a multiannual programme should be launched with clear objectives for Community action, and priority actions selected with a view to preventing drug dependence and the associated problems, as well as appropriate evaluation mechanisms;

Whereas the programme should have as its objective to contribute to the enhancement of awareness on the use of narcotics and psychotropic substances, on the abuse of alcohol and pharmaceutical products, on the misuse of chemical substances or pruducts for drug abuse purposes; to contribute to improve recognition of risk situations, early detection, counselling and advice, health and social support with a view to preventing drug use, facilitating the end of drug use, lowering the mortality rate, reducing the risks of infection by agents of infection and reducing marginalization;

Whereas, from an operational point of view, the investment made in the past in terms of both the establishment of Community networks of non-governmental organizations and of the mobilization of all those involved in preventing drug dependence should be safeguarded and developed;

Whereas, however, possible duplication of effort should be avoided by the promotion of exchanges of experience and by the joint development of basic information modules for the public, for health education and for training members of health professions;

Whereas, in order to increase the value and impact of the programme, a continuous assessment of the measures undertaken should be carried out, with particular regard to their effectiveness and the achievement of objectives both at national and Community levels and, where appropriate, to make the necessary amendments;

Whereas this programme should last five years in order to allow sufficient time to carry out the actions required to achieve the objectives set,

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

A Community action programme on the prevention of drug dependence is adopted for a five-year period, from . . . to . . .

Article 2

1. The programme will involve the following areas of activities:

(a) improving public awareness, in particular by means of coordinated transnational actions;

(b) using the opportunities provided in other Community policies, programmes and instruments, when appropriate, to prevent and combat drug dependency;

(c) initiatives and actions relating to young people of school-going age in relevant environments - home, leisure and school - and the promotion of best practices in this regard.

2. The Commission shall ensure implementation of the activities set out in paragraph 1 and in the Annex, in accordance with Article 4, and in close cooperation with the Member States and the institutions and organizations active in the prevention of drug dependency.

3. The Commission shall also ensure that the activities undertaken take due account of the information activities of the European Monitoring Centre on drugs and drug addiction.

Article 3

The budgetary authority shall determine the appropriations available for each financial year.

Article 4

For the implementation of the programme the Commission shall be assisted by an Advisory Committee, hereinafter referred to as 'the Committee`, comprising two representatives from each Member State and chaired by a Commission representative.

The representative of the Commission shall submit to the Committee a draft set of the measures to be taken. The Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter, if necessary by taking a vote.

The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; in addition, each Member State shall have the right to ask to have its position recorded in the minutes.

The Commission shall take the utmost account of the opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform the Committee of the manner in which its opinion has been taken into account.

Article 5

1. In the course of the implementation of the programme, cooperation with non-member countries, and with international organizations active in the field of public health, will be encouraged.

2. The EFTA countries and the countries from central and eastern Europe may be associated with the activities under the programme under the conditions set out in the agreements concluded with the Community.

3. The Commission shall cooperate with the Council of Europe's Pompidou Group. It shall inter alia strengthen its regular contacts with international intergovernmental organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the International Labour Office (ILO) and the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP).

Article 6

1. The Commission shall regularly publish information on the actions undertaken in the context of this programme.

2. The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions a mid-term report on the actions undertaken, as well as an overall report at the end of the programme.

Article 7

This Decision shall enter into force on the 20th day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

(1) OJ No C 172, 2. 7. 1984, p. 130.

OJ No C 283, 10. 11. 1986, p. 79.

OJ No C 47, 27. 2. 1989, p. 51.

OJ No C 150, 15. 6. 1992, p. 42.

(2) COM(93) 559 final.

(3) OJ No C 174, 25. 6. 1993, p. 1.

(4) OJ No L 36, 12. 2. 1993, p. 1.

(5) COM(94) 234 final.

ANNEX

Programme activities:

(a) improving public awareness in particular by means of coordinated transnational actions. Activities under this heading might model on the European Drug Prevention Week, particularly relevant to highlight and stimulate Community and transnational efforts and on previous coordinated transnational actions.

(b) using opportunities provided in other Community policies, programmes and instruments, when appropriate, to prevent and combat drug dependence. This could be relevant in areas such as the social affairs, particularly concerning migrants, poverty, employment, protection of workers' health and safety and the Structural Funds including Community initiatives; the Single Market and consumer policy, particularly as regards drug precursors, pharmaceutical and medicinal products and dangerous substances and preparations; education and training; activities in the field of culture, communication and information; research and health systems, on addiction behaviour as described in the Commission proposal for a specific RTD programme and in the area of biomedicine and health (1994 to 1998) and, of course, other programmes based on Article 129, e.g. AIDS and other communicable diseases, health promotion, information, education and training.

(c) initiatives and actions relating to young people of school-going age in relevant environments - home, leisure and school - and the promotion of best practices in this regard. Young people are considered as the primary target group for the purpose of drug prevention. The diversity of the preventive approaches adopted can provide examples of good practices which help those responsible in the field of drug prevention in Member States to learn from experiences of each other. A specific support in particular to the dissemination of information and advice directed towards young people in relevant environments - home, leisure, school - is therefore likely to be of most value.