WRITTEN QUESTION E-1484/02 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Trafficking of drugs.
Date: 2002-05-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Caribbean Islands, European Development Fund, cooperation policy, crime, drug traffic, fight against crime

12.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 137 E/9

(2003/C 137 E/009)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1475/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(27 May 2002)

Subject: Chromium pollution in Albania

An article has appeared in an Italian weekly drawing attention to the serious environmental and health
problems existing in Albania thanks to the existence of the chromium mining industry. Along the
Albanian coast, where Italian fishermen ply their trade, 345 mg of chromium have been found in every
litre of water. The risk exists that Albanian chromium will appear on Italian beaches in quantities of up to
a hundred times the legally permitted limit. The Tirana Oncological Institute has stated that ‘there has been
a considerable and inexplicable increase in numbers of tumours throughout Albania’. It is clear that the
main cause of this is chromium, of which Albania is the third-largest world producer, with mining activity
concentrated in the Dibra and Mat areas.

The Commission:

1.

2.

Is it aware of this situation in Albania?

Is it in possession of the data established by the Tirana Oncological Institute?

3. Can it state whether economic cooperation relations exist with Albania under which funds may be

used to tackle the serious pollution problems existing in that country?

4. Does it not consider that, should that not be the case, contacts must be established with the Albanian
government with a view to determining the situation and finding a solution which would not involve
closing down production but would, through regional planning measures, ensure the protection of the
environment, given that pollution is the root cause of the serious health crisis which is being created
and is liable to affect the Italian coastal areas?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2002)

The Commission is aware that Albania needs to adequately address a number of critical environmental
issues. The current situation is the result of the lack of any compulsory environmental standard in the
country before the mid-nineties. Some efforts have been recently made to tackle environmental concerns
and to avoid further deterioration, but much remains to be done to ensure proper implementation and
enforcement by Albania of its own incipient environmental
legislation. In such a context, the risk of
pollution deriving from chromium mining activities certainly exists.

The Commission shares the concerns expressed by the Honourable Member and will therefore request
detailed information to the Albanian authorities in this respect,
including the report produced by the
Tirana Oncological Institute.

The Commission would like to take this opportunity to stress that the field of environment is one of the
priority areas identified in the framework of the CARDS programme, the main co-operation instrument
between Albania and the Community. For the period 2002-2004, EUR 11 million have been earmarked
address environment-related issues.

(2003/C 137 E/010)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1484/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(29 May 2002)

Subject: Trafficking of drugs

Would the Commission agree that the trafficking of drugs, principally cocaine, from South America
through the Caribbean is probably the single greatest threat to the stability, democracy and economic and
social development of all the countries and territories in the Caribbean region?

C 137 E/10

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

12.6.2003

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2002)

Drugs do indeed constitute a major threat to stability, democracy and economic and social development in
the Caribbean. It should be noted, however, that though cocaine traffic accounts for 85 per cent of all
income generated by drug trafficking and related activities in the region,
locally produced marijuana
accounts for the remaining 15 per cent and is a key factor inducing local consumption. Jamaica is one of
the world’s major producers of marijuana, other significant producers including Trinidad and Tobago,
St Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, St. Lucia and Dominica.

Growing levels of drug production, trafficking and use in the region have contributed to higher levels of
violent crime by both drug organisations and addicts. In addition, increasing inflows of illegal firearms into
the region are associated with the drug trade. Money laundering and drug related corruption has escalated
in the region and drug trafficking has serious implications for public expenditure, since public funds have
to be diverted from productive activities towards fighting drug related activities.

Conscious of this, the Commission has been giving priority to supporting drug control in the Caribbean
region. The Community was the main financing contributor to the 1996-2002 Barbados Plan of Action
(EUR 20 million, representing 60 % of the total financing), covering a varied range of areas within a
balanced and integrated approach encompassing supply and demand reduction: regional co-ordination
mechanisms, maritime co-operation, law enforcement, anti-money laundering, forensic services, control of
precursors, epidemiological surveillance and various other fields in demand reduction. Financing resources
originated in the 8th European Development Fund (EDF) National and Regional programmes and in
‘Budget Line B7-6310: North-South co-operation in the fight against drugs’. It can be anticipated that the
9th EDF Caribbean regional programme will give appropriate focus to drug control, in support of the
development and implementation of a Caribbean rooted strategy. Areas of support will
include
institutional strengthening and capacity building, regional co-ordination in supply reduction including
maritime co-operation, demand reduction and inter-regional co-operation.

A more effective approach to drugs control in the Caribbean needs to be framed in the scope of the drugs
route (cocaine route), involving therefore the enhancement of co-ordination and co-operation of Caribbean
transit countries with Latin American producing countries. This is now being progressively adopted by the
Caribbean in their anti-drugs strategy and, as mentioned above, is expected to be one of the elements of
support by the Community in its 9th EDF support strategy. Inter-regional collaboration can be facilitated
by existing mechanisms for international co-ordination and co-operation, among which is included the
‘Co-ordination and Co-operation Mechanism on Drugs between the European Union, Latin America and
the Caribbean’ launched in 1998 within the Panama Plan of Action.

(2003/C 137 E/011)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1513/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(29 May 2002)

Subject: Decline in life expectancy caused by AIDS

Reports have recently appeared in the Italian weekly press containing alarming statistics on the decline in
life expectancy in the countries most affected by the HIV virus. Of the 25 countries with the highest
incidence of infection, 24 are in Africa, and in seven of these over 20 % of the population is HIV-positive.
Unless drastic action is taken, as many as a quarter of Africa’s inhabitants could die of AIDS.