Green Paper on the role of Civil Society in Drugs Policy in the European Union
Date: 2006-06-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Community, action programme, company constituted under civil law, cooperation policy, drug addiction, public health, public safety, violence

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 26.6.2006 
COM(2006) 316 final 

GREEN PAPER 

on the role of Civil Society in Drugs Policy in the European Union 

(presented by the Commission) 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

6.1. 

6.2. 

7. 

Background .................................................................................................................. 4 

Concept of civil society................................................................................................ 5 

The Commission’s cooperation with civil society to date ........................................... 5 

The Union's Legal and Policy Framework on drugs.................................................... 6 

Civil society stakeholders in the drugs field ................................................................ 7 

The way forward: different options.............................................................................. 7 

Civil Society Forum on Drugs ..................................................................................... 8 

Thematic linking of existing networks......................................................................... 9 

Conclusion.................................................................................................................... 9 

ANNEX: Examples of the Commission working with civil society........................................ 11 

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GREEN PAPER 

on the role of Civil Society in Drugs Policy in the European Union 

Objective 

The worldwide impact of the production and consumption of illicit drugs is one of the gravest 
problems  facing  societies  and  governments  today.  It  takes  the  form  of  disease,  crime, 
corruption, political and social instability, and the erosion of many values that ordinary people 
take for granted as part of a dignified and secure life.  

The Member States of the European Union are increasingly aware of this and of the need for 
closer  cooperation  and  coordination  on  drug  policies  if  they  are  to  succeed  in  providing 
citizens with high levels of security and public health that are part of a civilised society, and 
without which the European Union would lose the soil in which it is rooted: European civil 
society. 

The  object  of  this  Green  Paper  is  to  explore  the  scope  for  bringing  those  most  directly 
concerned by the drugs problem more closely into the policy process on drugs at EU Level as 
provided  by  the  EU  Action  Plan  on  Drugs  2005-20081  and  reflected  in  the  European 
Transparency  Initiative2,  it  does  so  by  launching  a  wide-ranging  consultation  on  how  to 
organise a structured and continuous dialogue on this issue between the Commission and civil 
society, and to seek ways of adding value through constructive advice, with a view to placing 
the  specific  experience  and  knowledge  of  civil  society  at  the  disposal  of  the  policy  making 
process at EU level in a practical and sustainable form. The principal objective at this stage is 
to realise such input in relation to the EU Action Plans on Drugs.  

This Paper seeks to set out the situation today and to put forward options for the future. The 
Commission calls on all interested parties to make comments and suggestions, no later than 
30 September 2006 to the following address:  

European Commission  

Directorate General for Justice Freedom and Security  

Unit C2 – Anti-Drugs Policy Coordination Unit,  

LX 46 1/88 – 1049 Brussels, Belgium 

E-mail: JLS-drugspolicy@ec.europa.eu 

Fax: +32-2-295 32 05 

Contributions  received  will  be  published  on  the  Commission’s  website  in  the  language  in 
which  they  are  submitted  and  with  the  author’s  names,  unless  they  indicate  their  wish  to 
remain  anonymous  or  request  that  their  entire  contribution  be  treated  as  confidential.  The 
Commission  will  issue  a  report  on  the  contributions  received  and  suggest  ways  forward, 
which will also be published on the Commission’s website. 

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2 

OJ C 168, 08.07.2005. 
COM (2006) 194 final. 

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1. 

BACKGROUND 

Drug  related  health  and  social  risks  and  drug-related  crime  are  major  public  concerns. 
Opinion  polls  show  that  drugs  are  seen  as  a  key  issue  for  the  EU3.  The  EU  has  responded 
since  the  1990’s  by  developing  Drug  Strategies  and  Action  Plans  to  implement  them.  The 
present  Drug  Strategy  covers  the  period  from  2005  to  20124  and  is  supported  by  an  Action 
Plan covering 2005-2008. The Commission will carry out annual progress reviews and a final 
evaluation of the current Plan before proposing a new one for 2009-2012. 

The  EU  Strategy  reflects  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  European  model  on  drugs:  a 
balanced,integrated  and  multidisciplinary  approach  in  which  action  against  drug  supply  and 
on  reducing  demand  for  drugs  are  seen  as  mutually  supportive  and  equally  important.  The 
Strategy is an integral part of the 'Hague Programme' for strengthening freedom, security and 
justice  in  the  EU5.  The  EU  Strategy  aims  to  achieve  high  levels  of  health  protection,  social 
cohesion and public security.  

The EU Action Plan on Drugs 2005-2008 specifically calls to strengthen the involvement of 
civil  society  and  asks  the  Commission  “to  issue  a  green  paper  on  ways  to  effectively 
cooperate with civil society”6. 

During the preparation of the present Action Plan (2005-2008), an informal consultation was 
held  through  a  special  web  site.  In  the  conclusions  to  that  consultation  the  Commission 
committed itself to seek to structure cooperation with civil society in the drugs field in order 
to ensure a sustainable exchange of views, experience and best practises between the various 
actors and to enable them to provide input and feedback on drug issues at EU level7.  

In  its  recommendation  on  the  EU  Drugs  Strategy  (2005-2012),  the  European  Parliament 
called  for  more  active  involvement  of  civil  society,  NGOs,  the  voluntary  sector  and  the 
general public, including drug users, in resolving drug-related problems8. The importance of 
active civil society involvement has furthermore been emphasised by the European Economic 
and Social Committee (EESC). 

In  January  2006,  the  Commission  organised  a  conference  where  more  than  one  hundred 
representatives  of  civil  society  met  to  explore  specific  ways  of  involving  citizens' 
organisations  more  closely  in  the  various  dimensions  of  drug  policy  at  EU  level.  The  main 
outcome  of  the  discussions  was  (1)  the  recognition  that  a  properly  resourced  forum  was 
needed to achieve this, and (2) that such a forum would need to be genuinely representative of 
the people and organisations on whose behalf it would speak. The difficulty of articulating the 
representativity  of  this  forum  was  also  acknowledged.  The  participants  also  called  for  civil 

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8 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb63/eb63_en.pdf. 
Cordrogue 77, 22.11.2004. 
The Hague Programme: strengthening freedom, security and justice in the European Union, OJ C 053, 
03.03.2005. 
Objective 3, action 1 of the EU Action Plan on Drugs. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/news/consulting_public/drugs/summary_contributions_en.pdf 
European  Parliament  recommendation  to  the  Council  and  the  European  Council  on  the  EU  drugs 
strategy (2005-2012) (2004/2221(INI)). 

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society to be involved more closely in monitoring the implementation of the EU Drugs Action 
Plan and in setting priorities for the future.9 

The amended proposal for a Decision of the EP and Council establishing for the period 2007-
2013 the specific financial programme on drugs prevention and information10 provides for the 
involvement of Civil Society in the implementation and development of the EU Action Plan. 

2. 

CONCEPT OF CIVIL SOCIETY  

There  is  no  commonly  accepted  definition  of  the  concept  of  civil  society.  The  Commission 
has often used the term to refer to a broad range of organisations representing both social and 
economic players. However, for the purposes of the subject that is covered in this Green Paper 
a narrower concept is used: the definition suggested by the Council's Horizontal Drugs Group 
in its thematic debate on the subject in September 2005 was “the associational life operating 
in the space between the state and market, including individual participation, and the activities 
of non-governmental, voluntary and community organisations”11. It is important to note that it 
also  covers  those  individual  citizens  who  clearly  make  a  significant  commitment  or 
contribution to society in a particular field. 

Even if Member States are crucial players when it comes  to facilitating or channelling  civil 
society participation, the EU level is increasingly seen as important. In fact, recent history has 
amply demonstrated that the involvement of European citizens is crucial for the effectiveness, 
and indeed acceptance, of the EU12. The main aims of involving civil society are: 

•  To support policy formulation and implementation through practical advice 

•  To ensure an effective two-way information flow; 

•  To stimulate networking among civil society organisations; 

Citizen participation takes place at different stages of the policy making process. Civil society 
can  strengthen  the  legitimacy  and  accountability  of  governance,  improve  the  flow  of 
information, and give a voice to those affected by public policies, who might otherwise not be 
heard. 

3. 

THE COMMISSION’S COOPERATION WITH CIVIL SOCIETY TO DATE 

The  development  of  closer  cooperation  with  civil  society  is  a  part  of  the  development  of 
European governance and bringing Europe closer to citizens13. The rules for such cooperation 
are laid down in several Commission documents. 

The Commission's line on civil society and other interest groups was officially expressed for 
the  first  time  in  the  Communication  "An  open  and  structured  dialogue  between  the 

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10. 
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12 
13 

See 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/news/information_dossiers/drugs_conference_06/index_en.htm 
COM(2006) 230 final of 24.05.2006. 
Cordrogue 80, 30.11.2005. 
COM(2006) 35 final. 
COM (2001) 428 final. 

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Commission  and  special  interest  groups”  of  199214  where  openness  and  equal  access  were 
indicated  as  the  guiding  principles  for  these  relations.  In  recent  years  the  Commission  has 
further  developed  its  policy  on  participation  by  civil  society  organisations  and  other 
stakeholders,  in  particular  by  adopting  the  “White  Paper  on  European  Governance”  and  the 
“General Principles and Minimum Standards for the Consultation of Interested Parties”. 

The commitment to widen opportunities for stakeholders to participate actively in EU policy 
shaping  is  one  of  the  Commission’s  “Strategic  Objectives  2005–2009”  with  which  the 
Commission  launched  a  “Partnership  for  European  Renewal”15
  In  this  context,  the 
Commission  emphasised,  in  particular,  that  “inherent  in  the  idea  of  partnership  is 
consultation and participation”. 

NB.  Detailed  examples  of  ways  in  which  cooperation  between  civil  society  and  the 
Commission is structured in some areas are given in the annex.  

4. 

THE UNION'S LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK ON DRUGS 

Even  if  there  is  no  common  European  drug  policy  like  there  is  e.g.  a  common  agricultural 
policy,  over  time  it  has  become  clear  that  the  serious  and  complex  issues  relating  to  drugs 
cannot be dealt with by Member States acting alone, but also requires effective cooperation at 
EU  level.  That  is  why  the  EU  has  developed  a  common  approach  through  the  EU  Drugs 
Strategy and the EU Action Plans. Furthermore, certain legal provisions in the Treaties give a 
clear basis for European action to complement what is done at national level. 

The legal framework16 provided by the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) 
gives the Community powers to play a significant role on drugs in a limited number of areas 
such money laundering, trade in drug precursors and protection of public health. In the latter 
area, the Community complements the Member States' action in reducing drug related health 
damage, including information and prevention. Examples of Community legislation include a 
Directive  on  the  prevention  of  money  laundering  based  on  article  57,  a  Regulation  on 
precursors  based  on  article  95  and  a  Council  Recommendation  on  the  prevention  and 
reduction  of  health  related  harm  associated  with  drug  dependence  based  on  article  152, 
respectively  of  the  TEC.  The  European  Monitoring  Centre  for  Drugs  and  Drug  Addiction 
(EMCDDA) is a Community Agency established within the framework provided by the TEC 
Treaty. 

Title VI of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) calls for further cooperation in creating 
an area of freedom, security and justice, including action on drugs. These are areas of shared 
competence,  where  both  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  have  the  right  to  take 
initiatives.  Examples  of  EU  legislation  include  a  Framework  Decision  on  drug  trafficking 

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OJ C 63 of 5.3.1993. 
COM(2005) 12 final 
See http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/en/treaties/index.htm for the text of the Treaties. 

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based  on  article  31  and  34  (Title  VI)  of  the  Treaty17  and  a  Council  Decision  on  new 
Psychoactive Substances based on articles 29, 31 and 34 (Title VI)18 . 

5. 

CIVIL SOCIETY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE DRUGS FIELD 

This  Green  paper  represents  the  first  attempt  to  structure  the  dialogue  with  European  civil 
society  organisations  in  the  drugs  field.  There  are  many  reasons  for  involving  civil  society 
more closely in the process of policy planning, implementation and evaluation. Consultation 
and  dialogue  with  civil  society  and  other  stakeholders  in  the  policy  shaping  phase  helps  to 
improve the policy outcome and enhance stakeholders’ involvement. Civil society frequently 
looks  upon  the  EU  as  a  distant  entity.  Moreover,  they  often  lack  the  infrastructure  and 
knowledge to be active at European level. Nevertheless, civil society often bears considerable 
responsibility  for  implementing  at  local  level  the  sort  of  actions  that  are  set  out  in  the  EU 
Action  Plan  on  Drugs,  especially  in  achieving  the  objectives  on  drug  prevention,  treatment 
and  rehabilitation  of  drug  users.  Civil  society  acts  either  as  a  service  provider  or  as 
representing the interests of professionals working in these fields. NGOs and voluntary groups 
of  various  kinds  are  often  good  at  developing  innovative  approaches  based  on  a  realistic 
picture  of  what  is  actually  needed.  Many  civil  society  organisations  work  with  the  most 
vulnerable groups affected by the drugs problem. 

There is a great variety amongst civil society actors in any given field. This diversity should 
be acknowledged when building structures for consulting civil society at the European level 
but it should be balanced against the need for effective and organised debate. Civil society in 
the drug field is often divided along philosophical, ideological, moral and scientific lines and 
any further steps in involving civil society at EU level imply choices about whom to include 
in  the  process  and  about  the  nature  of  the  contribution  they  can  make.  The  outcome  of  the 
EU-civil  society  conference  of  January  2006  clearly  suggests  that  there  is  as  yet  no  clear 
answer to either question. 

There  are  also  groups  and  associations  supporting  or  otherwise  representing  drug  users  or 
their families, as well as the many other civil society actors who, while not working directly 
or primarily with drug policy, still have a valuable contribution to make to any dialogue. This 
is particularly true in areas such as HIV/Aids.  

Civil society organisations are most typically involved in drug demand reduction but their role 
on  reducing  supply  should  not  be  underestimated  (e.g.  in  helping  to  tackle  local  drug 
markets). Many civil society associations also have broad experience of working in the drugs 
field in other countries through development work. 

6. 

THE WAY FORWARD: DIFFERENT OPTIONS 

This chapter is based on the feed-back the Commission received when consulting civil society 
informally in the context of preparing the present Green Paper and on the conclusions of the 

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Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA of 25 October 2004 laying down minimum provisions on 
the constituent elements of criminal acts and penalties in the field of illicit drug trafficking, OJ L 335, 
11.11.2004 
Council  Decision  2005/387/JHA  of  10  May  2005  on  the  information  exchange,  risk-assessment  and 
control of new psychoactive substances, OJ L 127 , 20.05.2005. 

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January 2006 conference with civil society. The overriding concern of civil society expressed 
in both cases was to have a permanent, structured dialogue with the Commission.  

The Commission now submits to public consultation two options for organising this dialogue, 
namely (1) a Civil Society Forum on Drugs and (2) thematic linking of existing networks.  

6.1. 

Civil Society Forum on Drugs 

A Civil Society Forum would be a broad platform for a structured dialogue, but at the same 
time  membership  needs  to  be  limited  for  it  to  be  manageable  and  yield  operational  results. 
The object is not to create a civil society assembly as a platform for various ideologies but to 
create  a  practical  instrument  to  support  policy  formulation  and  implementation  through 
practical advice.  

The  Forum  would  not  be  a  formal  structure  within  the  Commission  but  would  provide  a 
platform for regular informal consultations.  The themes of the  discussions would mainly be 
defined by the EU Action Plan, although other themes of general interest in the field of drugs 
should  not  be  excluded.  The  Forum  should  not  replace  or  duplicate  the  existing  debate 
between  civil  society  and  national  or  local  governments.  The  focus  should  be  on  European 
added value. 

Representation  of  different  stakeholders  and  different  policy  options  should  be  balanced  to 
avoid one-sided views. 

The forum would be chaired by the Commission which would also be responsible for certain 
practical aspects and for ensuring continuity of the work. 

Membership  of  the  Forum  would  be  fixed  for  a  certain  period  of  time.  Participants  would 
have to fulfil a set of criteria to be eligible. A non exhaustive list of these criteria is set out 
below:  

•  The organisation has to correspond to the concept of civil society as set out in 2 

•  The  organisation  has  to  have  its  main  base  of  operation  in  an  EU  member  state  or  a 
candidate  country.  Organisations  from  European  Neighbourhood  Policy  Countries  may 
also participate, when appropriate. 

•  Priority will be given to those organisations that are established in the form of transnational 

networks covering a number of Member States and/or candidate countries.  

•  The  organisation  has  to  have  drug  related  activities  as  the  core  focus  of  its  activities. 
Organisations  covering  directly  different  aspects  (e.g.  treatment,  prevention)  would  be 
selected to ensure broad coverage of the drugs issue. 

•  Credibility: Organisations should have a clear track record of their activities. 

•  Representativeness: Organisations should be recognised as being able to speak on behalf of 

those they claim to represent.  

Within these criteria, the Commission would select members for the forum on the basis of an 
open  call,  after  it  has  received  and  analysed  reactions  to  this  Green  Paper  and  published  its 
report. 

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6.2. 

Thematic linking of existing networks 

As an alternative or complement to establishing a Civil Society Forum on Drugs, the thematic 
links  between  the  different  networks  could  be  strengthened.  There  are  numerous  networks 
active on drug issues in Europe. These are often very effective in sharing information on best 
practices,  effective  responses  etc.  among  their  members  while  dissemination  outside  the 
network, including feedback to the Commission could often be improved.  

Creating  cooperation  by  linking  networks  under  common  themes  might  offer  an  informal, 
light  and  cost-effective  way  to  structure  the  information  flows  and  enable  a  more  effective 
consultation with civil society.  

One  purpose  of  the  thematic  networks  would  be  to  assist  the  Commission  -  and  indeed  the 
Member States and the other European Institutions - on issues requiring specific experience or 
expertise  in  those  areas  where  they  could  provide  added  value.  They  could  also  provide  a 
single  contact  point  with  the Commission,  provided  they  are  considered  representative.  The 
contact  point  could  also  work  with  the  Commission  in  identifying  possible  funding  sources 
from the Community and disseminating this information to its members. 

A practical example of linking such networks could be taken from the field of drug treatment, 
where European networks on therapeutic communities, substitution treatment, drug treatment 
professionals, etc. could discuss a civil society approach on improving the access to and the 
quality  of  the  treatment  services  as  well  as  good  practice  (Objective  12  of  the  EU  Action 
Plan). Discussions could take different forms (exchange of views through Internet, meetings, 
etc.) 

7. 

CONCLUSION 

In  accordance  with  the  EU  Action  Plan  on  Drugs,  this  Green  Paper  has  outlined  the  main 
issues towards a more effective cooperation with civil society. It has put forward a number of 
options that need to be considered when setting up a more structured and permanent dialogue 
on drugs policy between the Commission and civil society and suggested possible solutions.  

(1) 

The  Commission  would  like  to  receive  comments,  views  and  ideas  on  developing 
dialogue between the Commission and civil society in the field of drugs and especially 
replies to the following questions.  

(2)  What are your views on the benefits, added value or weaknesses of the Civil Society 
Forum on Drugs as outlined in this Green Paper? Do you agree with the main elements 
proposed? 

(3)  What are your views on the benefits, added value or weaknesses of thematic linking of 
the  existing  networks  as  outlined  here  and  for  what  thematic  areas  could  this  be 
adopted? Do you agree with the main elements proposed? 

(4) 

(5) 

Do you see the Civil Society Forum and the thematic linking of existing networks as 
complementary  or  as  alternatives  to  each  other?  Please  provide  details  on  how 
arrangements could work out in either case. 

Do  you  consider  any  of  the  examples  of  consultation  practices  listed  in  the  annex 
below to be particularly relevant as a basis for structuring the dialogue on drugs, and if 

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so, why? 

(6)  Would you prefer, and for what reason, any other option not mentioned in this Green 

Paper. If so, please give details. 

(7)  Would  your  organisation  be  willing  to  participate  in  a  structured  dialogue  with  the 

European Commission? 

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ANNEX: 

Examples of the Commission working with civil society 

The Commission has a long tradition of consultation and dialogue with civil society and has 
developed many ways for doing this. Some concrete examples on how the dialogue has been 
organised  are  given  below.  The  Commission  would  welcome  comments  as  to  how  current 
practice in other areas might be relevant to structuring dialogue on drug-related issues.  

1. 

Consulting through Internet 

In  introducing  the  minimum  standards  for  consultation  to  ensure  that  stakeholders  are 
consulted in a transparent and coherent way, the Commission created a single access point in 
the Internet called “Your voice in Europe”19. Apart from the consultations, the site also offers 
a possibility for discussions on European policies and a chance to provide inputs and feedback 
to  the  Commission.  It  also  offers  a  possibility  to  sign  up  for  information  on  future 
consultations and debates.  

2. 

Open consultation with those interested, registration needed 

A  model  for  combining  consultation  through  the  Internet  with  an  open  consultation  of  the 
interested stakeholders is provided by DG Trade. The process was launched in 1998 and the 
dialogue is open to non-profit civil society organisations in the EU and candidate countries. 
Its aims to consult widely, address concerns on trade policy, improve trade policy-making and 
transparency. 

Participants  are  required  to  register  in  a  special  database,  which  is  also  used  as  a  tool  for 
communicating with them.  

3. 

Representative civil society (NGO) networks 

As part of the Community Action Programme to promote Active European Citizenship, DG 
Education  and  Culture  supports  a  wide  range  of  civil  society  organisations  that  seek  to 
enhance  citizen's  participation  in  the  European  project.  Such  organisations  include  NGO's, 
platforms,  networks,  trade  unions,  think  tanks,  associations  and  federations  of  a  general 
European  interest.  In  this  context,  the  Commission  has  set  up  an  informal  network  at  the 
European level, and organises regular meetings to discuss major issues in the field of active 
citizenship. These meetings are designed to receive input and ideas with a view to develop a 
more  structured  impact  analysis  of  all  initiatives  carried  out  in  the  relevant  areas.  It  also 
provides a forum to address relevant issues of horizontal nature. 

DG  Employment,  Social  Affairs  and  Equal  Opportunities  is  responsible  for  linking  with  a 
Platform of European Social NGOs created in 1995. A group of relevant NGOs came together 
to organise an NGO Forum to discuss the Green Paper on European Social Policy. This co-
operation continued on an informal basis and gave rise to common positions on the proposal 
for a European Social Policy Forum.  

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See http://europa.eu.int/yourvoice/index_en.htm 

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The  group  now  has  39  member  organisations  operating  in  the  social  sector.  Via  these 
members, it brings together over 1700 organisations, associations and other voluntary bodies 
at local, regional, national and European level, representing a wide range of civil society.  

4. 

Combination of two-level fora 

4.1. 

Health Policy Forum and Open Forum 

Public  health  issues  are  discussed  with  civil  society  at  two  levels:  the  EU  Health  Policy 
Forum and the Open Forum.  

The  EU  Health  Policy  Forum  is  the  result  of  a  consultation  the  Commission  implemented 
following  the  Communication  on  the  health  strategy  in  Europe  and  the  proposal  for  a 
Community  Programme  in  public  health20.  The  Health  Policy  Forum  brings  together 
European umbrella organisations representing stakeholders in the health sector to ensure the 
EU's health strategy is transparent and responds to public concerns. It meets twice a year in 
Brussels and seeks to cover four groups of organisations: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Non-governmental organisations in the public health field and patients` organisations. 

Organisations representing health professionals and trade unions. 

Health service providers and health insurance. 

Industry with a particular health interest. 

It  has  currently  50  European  member  organisations.  These  have  national  members  in  all  or 
most  of  the  EU  member  states.  Non-member  organisations  interested  in  the  work  of  the 
Health Policy Forum can on request be included in a database of organisations that are kept 
informed about the work of the Policy Forum (circulation of the minutes, consultation etc.).  

The  Open  Forum  extends  the  work  of  the  Health  Policy  Forum  to  a  broader  set  of 
stakeholders, chiefly on a national level, in the form of a conference and exhibition event. The 
objective  is  to  provide  a  platform  for  networking  and  exchange  of  ideas,  involving 
particularly groups and organisations which do not normally take part in EU policy making 
The Open Forum was organised for the second time in November 2005 with approximately 
370 participants. 

4.2. 

HIV Think Tank and Civil Society Forum  

The  Commission  has  set  up  a  co-ordination  structure  to  help  in  the  formulation  and 
implementation  of  policy  activities  on  HIV/Aids  in  Europe.  These  include  the  HIV/Aids 
Think Tank and an HIV/Aids Civil Society Forum. 

The  Think  Tank  has  representatives  of  the  member  states,  candidate  countries  and  EEA 
countries.  In  addition  representatives  of  civil  society,  relevant  international  organisations, 
Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Switzerland, and Ukraine are invited to the meetings as observers. 

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COM (2000) 285 final 

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The HIV/Aids Civil Society Forum has 30 NGOs and civil society organisation from all over 
Europe. The Forum aims to increase informal consultations with civil society, provides advice 
and identifies key issues of HIV/Aids policy by commenting policy proposals, activities and 
priorities  of  the  Public  Health  Programme.  The  Forum  is  not  a  formal  structure  within  the 
Commission but the Commission organises meetings and covers travel costs. Membership is 
by application and members are chosen by the Commission.  

The  participants  have  to  be  civil  society  organisations  with  HIV/Aids  activities  as  a 
considerable focus of their work either as a patient organisation, NGO working with affected 
communities or a European network. They have to have a sufficient presence in the field and 
possess  good  communication  links  with  other  local  NGOs  to  be  able  to  offer  a  good 
presentation of the country situation and to act as a focal point for the country in question21. 

21 

See http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/sanco/ehf/library 

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