WRITTEN QUESTION E-2347/00 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission. Connivance between traffickers and anti-drugs authorities.
Date: 2000-07-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: common foreign and security policy, drug traffic

C 89 E/186

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

(2001/C 89 E/208)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2347/00

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission

(13 July 2000)

Subject: Connivance between traffickers and anti-drugs authorities

In May 2000, the US Congress committee for the secret services published the conclusions of the
parliamentary inquiry into the role of the CIA in the support given to the Nicaraguan (cid:145)Contras(cid:146) in the
early 1980s.

During the hearings, which were held in camera, former CIA agents confirmed that the (cid:145)Contras(cid:146) were
allowed to benefit from a policy of (cid:145)active tolerance(cid:146) with the (cid:145)blessing(cid:146) of the US secret services, which
enabled them to self-finance their armed campaign, thanks to the profits of an extensive cocaine-trafficking
network.

these circumstances? Does the Commission consider these dubious
Was the Commission aware of
practices to be a purely exceptional phenomenon in terms of anti-drugs-trafficking policy, or is it, on the
contrary, in possession of similar information for other regions of the world, for recent years or for today?
Does the Commission not consider that, in view of the seriousness of this case, it should raise the matter
in the relevant international forums, beginning with the UN(cid:146)s anti-drugs authority (the UNDCP)? Does the
Commission not also consider that, in view of the seriousness of the matter, it should propose, as a matter
of urgency, the revision of the international conventions on narcotics with a view to creating a single legal
framework to cover all activities related to the production of marketing

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(20 September 2000)

The Commission was not informed of the facts referred to by the Honourable Member.

The link between the financing of armed conflicts and drugs stems from considerable illegal profits such
trafficking generates. The Commission points out that the European Union(cid:146)s strategy does not accept illegal
practices.

Within its sphere of responsibility, the Commission is committed to the fight against illegal activities linked
to drugs, whether production, processing or trafficking, both at international level and within the EU.

Since the Commission is not informed of these matters, it considers that it cannot bring them before the
appropriate international bodies. However, it is taking resolute action against international crime, on an
international level and in co-operation with other partners such as the United States. It cannot propose a
review of international conventions on narcotics on the basis of facts about which it has no direct
knowledge.

(2001/C 89 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2350/00

by VØronique Mathieu (EDD) to the Commission

(13 July 2000)

Subject: Community forestry strategy

The objectives defined by the Commission in 1988 in its communication COM(88) 255 (1) entitled
(cid:145)Community strategy and action programme for the forestry sector(cid:146) include the recreational dimension of
forests.