WRITTEN QUESTION P-1768/01

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Cooperation with Latin America over drugs

After six years of existence, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), which has undergone a far-reaching review of its objectives and working methods, has become a fully-integrated information system on drugs and drugs policies in the Member States.

This monitoring centre is now called on to provide services not only for the EU applicant states but also for other third countries, in view of its remarkable potential for exporting expertise and experience in the field. It is certainly now in a position to satisfy the requirements of the applicant states, since its internal rules have been amended with that in mind and the necessary human resources under the PHARE programme have been placed at its disposal. This is not the case, however, for other third countries, notably those in Latin America, which also need as much information as possible on drugs as a priority for their co-operation with the EU. The EMCDDA has neither the legal capacity nor the resources to meet this demand for direct co-operation with Latin America.

Given the above:

- What action does the Commission intend to take to ensure that such co-operation with third countries can include not only contract relations with external bodies but also the EMCDDA's own accumulated expertise?

- Does the Commission intend to make such measures possible with the support of the EMCDDA itself?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(10 July 2001)

The Commission welcomes the Honourable Member's interest in issues relating to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), particularly as regards international co-operation.

The purpose of the EMCDDA is to keep the Community and its Member States informed about drugs and drug addiction and their impact within Europe. The Regulation establishing the Monitoring Centre (Regulation (EEC) No 302/93 of 8 February 1993)(1) makes explicit provision for co-operation with international organisations and other governmental or non-governmental bodies. In this context, the Centre was represented by its Director at the high-level meeting on coordination and co-operation on drug-related matters between the Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, held 2001 in Cochabamba (Bolivia) on 11 and 12 June.

The amendment to the Centre's Regulation, which enables it to provide technical assistance to the applicant countries as regards information on drugs, should be seen in the context of the strategy for Union enlargement, its purpose being to enable the applicant countries to participate in the Centre's work as members in the long term. Finally, it should be borne in mind that the assistance given to the applicant countries in participating in the work of the EMCDDA is part of the PHARE drugs programme and is twofold. The idea is to exploit both the Centre's expertise and that of the Member States through twinning programmes.

Relations between the Centre and non-applicant third countries do not pursue the same aims, which is why the amendment to the Regulation covers applicant countries only. In short, the Commission does not plan to make any radical changes as regards the purpose for which the Centre was set up.

As regards co-operation with Latin America, and particularly the support given in setting up the Venezuela Monitoring Centre, it should be stressed that the Centre's main objective will be to collect information on drugs and drug addiction, a task which falls to the Member States and not to the EMCDDA within the Union. There are plans to mobilise the expertise currently being deployed within the Union for this task: certain Member States have already indicated that they are prepared to mobilise such expertise.

(1) OJ L 36, 12.2.1993.