Council Resolution of 17 December 2003 on training for drug law enforcement officers
Date: 2003-12-17
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: drug traffic, fight against crime, vocational training

12.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 38/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 17 December 2003

on training for drug law enforcement officers

(2004/C 38/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(1) with reference to the 1988 United Nations Convention
against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances;

(2) with reference to the Declaration on the guiding prin-
ciples of drug demand reduction, approved at
the
United Nations General Assembly Special Session in
June 1998;

(3) bearing in mind the Council Joint Action of 21 December
1998 on making it a criminal offence to participate in a
the
criminal organisation in the Member States of
European Union,
the United Nations
Convention against Transnational Organised Crime
(Palermo, 2000) and the Protocols to it;

as well

as

(4) bearing in mind that the European Union Drugs Strategy
(2000-2004) points to the importance of reinforcing the
fight against organised crime, illicit drug trafficking and
related organised crime, as well as other drug-related
crime, and stepping up police, customs and judicial coop-
eration between Member States;

(5) bearing in mind that the European Union Action Plan on
Drugs (2000-2004) states that
the Commission is to
support, as appropriate, efforts by Member States to
improve police,
cooperation,
notably through exchange and training programmes,
and results of
taking advantage of
existing third-pillar programmes;

and judicial

experience

customs

the

(6) bearing in mind that the Commission Communication on
the mid-term evaluation of the Action Plan on Drugs
(2000-2004) notes the need to improve police, customs
and judicial cooperation, notably through exchange and
training programmes;

(7) bearing in mind the Council Decision of 22 December

2000 establishing a European Police College (1);

(8) with reference to the Council Decision of 22 July 2002
establishing a framework programme on police and
judicial cooperation in criminal matters (AGIS) (2), which
in particular to promote and strengthen the
sets out
improvement
of
technical and scientific research;

adaptation of

training

and

and

(9) bearing in mind that

the EU Action Plan on Drugs
(2000-2004) and the implementation plan on demand
and supply reduction point to the importance of iden-
tifying new areas, such as the spreading of best practice,
training and networking, where action at European level
could help reduce drug-related harm;

report

for Drugs

from the
(10) with reference to the 2002 annual
and Drug
European Monitoring Centre
in particular the supply reduction measures,
Addiction,
is a priority for Member States to
among which it
combat
the
improvement of database systems and crime analysis tech-
niques,
inter-
together with increased development of
national cooperation;

trafficking

organised

through

drug

(11) bearing in mind the Council Recommendation of 18 June
2003 on the prevention and reduction of health-related
harm associated with drug dependence (3);

(12) noting that, among forms of police cooperation, training
institutions in new Member States is of

for relevant
strategic importance;

(13) bearing in mind the contributions provided by the
Members States and their proposals included in the
replies to the questionnaire on training regarding the
fight against drugs and drug dependence in the EU
Member States;

(14) whereas it is advisable to promote a harmonised approach
to training, where appropriate, across all Member States,
taking account of
the
the particular
accession of new Member States so as to facilitate the
introduction of common and improved standards within
the police, customs and judicial cooperation system;

significance of

(1) OJ L 336, 30.12.2000, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 203, 1.8.2002, p. 5.
(3) OJ L 165, 3.7.2003, p. 31.

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Official Journal of the European Union

12.2.2004

(15) whereas the European Police College's objectives include
developing and supporting a European approach to the
main problems facing Member States in the fight against
crime, by identifying and disseminating best practice and
increasing knowledge of national systems and structures
and of Europol;

(16) whereas Member

States have built up significant
experience
supply reduction
work, which can usefully be shared and passed on to
newly acceding States;

in training officers

for

(17) bearing in mind the importance, for effective inter-force
is learned from

co-operation, of consistency in what
training;

(18) whereas a knowledge of statutorily assigned duties, the
ability to distinguish between lawful
and unlawful
action, the ability to make good use of available legal
instruments and technical
to
apply the various ordinary and special
investigation
methods to best advantage comprise a stock-in-trade
required for optimum operating and cooperating effi-
ciency;

resources and the skill

(19) whereas

training

of
knowledge and know-how, for the purpose of sharing
best practice;

exchange

about

bring

helps

(20) considering that drug law enforcement officers require a
specific interdisciplinary training approach to develop
their various expertise, common cultural, scientific and
to be shared by all players
behavioural motivations,
operating in this field,

NOTES WITH SATISFACTION,

(21) that

the European Police college has included,
in its
programme 2004 as endorsed by the Council on 2
October 2003, a course on ‘International and Cross-
Border Crime-Trafficking in Drugs’
senior police
officers from the Member States responsible for Police
Drugs Trafficking Squads;

for

INVITES CEPOL

(23) to continue to contribute to ensuring greater alignment of
training tools and methods for the training of drug law
enforcement officers across the European Union;

(24) to address the issue in its relations with the national
institutes of the applicant States, also so as to facilitate
a mutual understanding of the various police, customs
and judicial cooperation systems,

ENCOURAGES ON MEMBER STATES TO

(25) intensify their efforts in order to adapt training supply,
organised at national level, to the constant evolution of
the various issues related to the action against drug and to
do it in such a way that these elements fall in a global
consideration, carried out by the international organi-
zations in this domain;

(26) adopt

training programmes for drug law enforcement
officers, taking into account the recommendations and
standards developed in this field within the framework
of the European Police College;

(27) carry out, where appropriate with the support of the
European Police College,
training programmes for the
exchange of know-how and best practices between indi-
vidual Member States' police forces and also between
them and others, where there is common approach to
operational and intelligence activity;

(28) have training programmes follow a balanced approach,
importance of supply reduction

bringing out the equal
and demand reduction strategies;

(29) create a training data base and regularly assess the impact
law enforcement

training received on the work of

of
officers;

(22) that the European Police College has agreed to undertake
the relevant recommendations in the implementation plan
on demand and supply reduction, which should help to
improve training throughout the European Union in this
sector,

(30) provide police and customs authorities with constant
opportunities for further improving both their ordinary
and their specialist skills, in order to develop operational
and intelligence analysis capabilities by upgrading existing
human resources.