Council Recommendation of 25 April 2002 on the need to enhance cooperation and exchanges of information between the various operational units specialising in combating trafficking in precursors in the Member States of the European Union
Date: 2002-04-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: drug traffic, exchange of information, fight against crime, judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU

15.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 114/3

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION

of 25 April 2002

on the need to enhance cooperation and exchanges of information between the various oper-
ational units specialising in combating trafficking in precursors in the Member States of the
European Union

(2002/C 114/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Taking into account:

(4) Every day it

is becoming increasingly important

to
increase the capacity of the respective operational auth-
orities of the Member States responsible for combating
the illicit diversion of precursors.

— the United Nations Convention against

Illicit Traffic in
and Psychotropic Substances of 20

Narcotic Drugs
December 1988,

— the European Union Drugs Strategy (2000-2004) approved
by the Helsinki European Council in December 1999,

— the European Union Action Plan to Combat Drugs
(2000-2004) approved by the Feira European Council
in
June 2000,

(5) International cooperation appears to be one of the most
important elements in combating the diversion and traf-
ficking of chemical precursors. The Purple and Topaz
operations, two global programmes for monitoring and
preventing the diversion of potassium permanganate and
acetic anhydride, are an indication of the value of this
cooperation,

— the Presidency Conclusions of

the European Council

in

Tampere on 15 and 16 October 1999,

HEREBY RECOMMENDS:

— the Political Declaration of

the United Nations General
Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Countering the
World Drug Problem together, New York, 8 to 10 June
1998,

Whereas:

(1) ‘Precursors’ means the substances listed in the tables
annexed to the United Nations Convention against Illicit
Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of
20 December 1988 and referred to in Regulation (EEC)
No 3677/90 (1) and Directive 92/109/EEC (2).

(2) The European Community has adopted internal legislation
to prevent, as far as possible, the diversion of precursors,
for control and
establishing administrative measures
supervision of
and marketing of
precursors within the Community and in trade in
precursors between the Community and third countries.

the manufacture

(3) There is increasing international awareness of the need to
combat offences aimed at diverting chemical precursors
from the legal market
in order to manufacture illicit
drugs, addressing the specific nature of investigations of
this kind whenever necessary from the viewpoint of law
enforcement.

(1) OJ L 357, 20.12.1990, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1116/2001 (OJ L 153, 8.6.2001, p. 4).

(2) OJ L 370, 19.12.1992, p. 76. Directive as last amended by

Directive 2001/8/EC (OJ L 39, 9.2.2001, p. 31).

1. Promoting action within the European Union in connection
with the need to step up the operations of the Member
States'
the
diversion of chemical precursors used for the illicit manu-
facture of narcotics and psychotropic substances.

law enforcement

in combating

agencies

Such action by the European Union should be aimed at:

— stimulating the exchange of experience and best practice
between the Member States' various operational services
and law enforcement agencies,
strengthening direct
channels of communication between those responsible
at national level for the important matter of diversion
and trafficking of precursors. Operational coordination
of action and the exchange of useful intelligence are of
the utmost importance in combating the diversion of
precursors,

— imparting up-to-date knowledge by means of

joint
training courses for professionals with the task of inves-
tigating the methods, forms and mechanisms used by
criminal organisations in the diversion of precursors
and the illicit manufacture of drugs, given the constant
adaptation of criminal methods of operation and the
technological sophistication frequently achieved in this
area.

C 114/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

15.5.2002

2. Promoting action by the European Union in certain
criminal
in
geographical
areas where
trafficking and diversion of
connection with the illicit
In this
precursors and the illicit manufacture of drugs.
(including
Balkans,
connection,
Afghanistan), certain areas of Latin America and Africa
and the Far East could be targets of special
importance
for future action.

activity occurs

Central Asia

the

3. Maximising the potential of Europol and the Task Force of
Chiefs of Police of the Member States of the European
Union as well as the Commission in the context of the
initiatives taken to combat illicit activity connected with
the diversion of precursors.

4. Setting up, whenever necessary, joint specialised operational
units which are well equipped and dedicated exclusively to
combating the trafficking and diversion of precursors used
in manufacturing heroin, cocaine and synthetic drugs such
as ecstasy and amphetamines.

5. Encouraging continuous cooperation between the control
authorities and the chemical
in
connection with chemical substances which, although not
yet controlled by law as
‘precursors’, appear on the
Community's voluntarily controlled lists and may be being
used in the illicit manufacture of drugs.

in particular

industry,

are

including advice on the
transactions,

the Community's guidelines on chemical
6. Ensuring that
identification of
precursors,
and
suspicious
chemical
disseminated to the
industry
encouraged to inform the
competent authorities of orders and purchases of chemical
substances or laboratory equipment when there is any
suspicion that they can be used for the illicit manufacture
of drugs.

updated
industry. The

should also be

chemical

regularly

Done at Luxembourg, 25 April 2002.

For the Council

The President

M. RAJOY BREY