EU Drugs Action Plan for 2009-2012
Date: 2008-12-20
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: action programme, cooperation policy, drug addiction, drug traffic, fight against crime, toxicology

20.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 326/7

IV

(Notices)

NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES

COUNCIL

EU Drugs Action Plan for 2009-2012

(2008/C 326/09)

Introduction

Illicit drugs are a major concern for the citizens of Europe, a major threat to the security and health of
European society and a threat to living conditions worldwide.

In December 2004, the European Council unanimously endorsed the EU Drugs Strategy for 2005-2012 (1),
which aims to achieve a high level of protection, well-being and social cohesion by preventing and reducing
drug use.

The adoption of the Strategy in itself gave a clear signal that political concern about drugs across the
European Union transcends the differences in approach that exist among Member States. The Strategy,
implemented by two successive EU Drugs Action Plans, confirmed that all Member States subscribe to the
same set of basic principles: that there should be a balanced approach to reducing the supply and demand
for drugs, which is based first and foremost on the fundamental principles of EU law and, in every regard,
upholds the founding values of the Union: respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, solidarity,
the rule of law and human rights. The Strategy and its Action Plans aim to protect and improve the
well-being of society and of the individual, to protect public health, to offer a high level of security for the
general public. This should be accompanied by horizontal measures in which drug policy is based on reliable
data regarding the nature and extent of the problem, on — increasingly — cross-border — coordination
and on cooperation with and towards third countries and international organisations. The Strategy and its
Action Plans are also based on the relevant UN Conventions, which are major legal instruments for addres-
sing the world drug problem.

The Drugs Strategy also provides the framework for two consecutive four-year Action Plans. The first
Action Plan (2005-2008) (2) set out over 80 actions to help coordinate major areas of government inter-
vention in the field of illegal drugs, covering public health, law enforcement, customs, criminal justice and
external relations. While implementation is often the responsibility of the Member States, the Commission
plays an active part in facilitating and evaluating the work in progress, in addition to monitoring anti-drug
legislation, such as Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA on Illicit Drug Trafficking, on which it will
report in mid 2009. Moreover, guided by the lessons learnt over the past four years, the Commission is now
proposing a second Action Plan (2009-2012) to be endorsed by the Council.

What has the present Action Plan on Drugs achieved so far?

The current Plan states as its ultimate aim to:

‘… significantly reduce the prevalence of drug use among the population and to reduce the social and health
damage caused by the use of and trade in illicit drugs’.

(1) 15074/04 CORDROGUE 77 SAN 187 ENFOPOL 187 RELEX 564.
(2) OJ C 168, 8.7.2005, p. 1.

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Official Journal of the European Union

20.12.2008

The evaluation report (1) is a joint effort by the Commission, the Member States, the European Monitoring
Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Europol, and European NGO networks represented in the
Civil Society Forum. It is the most extensive assessment of the implementation of EU drug policy to date
and shows that the objectives of the present Plan have been partly achieved:

— drug use in the EU remains at high levels. Available data suggest that the use of heroin, cannabis and
synthetic drugs has stabilised or is declining but that cocaine use is rising in a number of Member
States. The total number of people in the EU who have at some time taken drugs (lifetime prevalence)
— is estimated at 70 million for cannabis, at least 12 million for cocaine, 9,5 million for ecstasy, and
11 million for amphetamines, while at least half a million people are known to be receiving substitution
treatment for drugs like heroin (2),

— although there is no reason for complacency, data available for comparable countries in other parts of
the world show that the consumption of cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamines in the EU is significantly
lower than, for instance, in the US. The same is true for the number of reported HIV infections related
to drug injections,

— the evaluation also shows that Member States' drug policies are converging and that there is a shift

towards underpinning national policies with action plans,

— evidence so far shows that the EU is succeeding in at least containing the complex social phenomenon
of widespread substance use and abuse in the population, and that it is increasingly focusing on
measures to address the harm caused by drugs to individuals and society. It is important to note that it
has done so in spite of the fact that over the period under review the world's illicit opiate production
rose sharply and an unprecedented traffic of cocaine has been targeted at the EU. Seen against this back-
ground of sharply increased supply, the EU's record of managing the problem emerges in a more positive
light,

— in terms of international cooperation, there is now better coordination of EU positions in international
fora on drugs, as in the UN's Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) for instance. Moreover, the EU's
integrated and balanced approach to drugs is increasingly serving as a model for other countries
worldwide.

The current Action Plan (2005-2008) is an ambitious exercise. While progress has been made in many
areas, weaknesses have also been identified.

Policy coordination problems persist in many areas, and even if the quality of information on the EU situa-
tion regarding drug use, prevention and treatment has consistently improved, considerable knowledge gaps
remain: there is a persistent lack of reliable data on drug supply but also on the scope and outcomes of
drug-related assistance to third countries.

How to increase commitment across society to reduce drug use

Clearly the EU needs to do more to reduce the impact of health, social, developmental, and economic
problems caused by drug use. If millions of Europeans have at some stage taken drugs or are doing so right
now, there is a gap between public policy and public behaviour that no society can afford to ignore.

There is evidence to suggest that one of the more (cost-) effective approaches to deal with drug use is for
public services engaged in prevention, treatment, harm reduction and law enforcement, to work together in
partnership with voluntary organisations and service providers. In other words, an alliance between citizens
and the institutions created by them and for them.

It is time to put the people of Europe at the centre of policy in this field and to get Europe's citizens more
involved. As a first step, the Commission helped set up the European Civil Society Forum on Drugs,
in 2006. To support the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Drugs, the Commission will, during the
life of the next Action Plan, examine ways to mobilise all those who wish to take part for a formal commit-
ment to do what is necessary at their level and with the means at their disposal to reduce the harm that
drugs do to people. An idea to develop in this respect is the formulation of a ‘European Alliance on Drugs’,
which aims to mobilise a broad range of civil society structures that are active both within and outside the
drug field.

(1) Commission Staff Working Paper — Report of the Final evaluation of the EU Drugs Action Plan (2005-2008)

(doc. 13407/08 ADD 3).

(2) EMCDDA Annual Report 2007.

20.12.2008

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 326/9

Towards a new Action Plan on Drugs 2009-2012

The EU Drugs Strategy deals with a complex phenomenon that requires a long-term approach to bring
about change. It is centred on the two key dimensions of drug policy, drug demand reduction and drug supply
reduction, complemented by three cross-cutting themes, coordination, international cooperation and information,
research and evaluation.

To support the Strategy, the Commission proposes a new Action Plan on Drugs (2009-2012), which builds
on the existing framework but also on the lessons learned over the past four years. With due regard to
national legislation, it identifies the following priorities:

1. Improving coordination, cooperation and raising public awareness

Coordination and cooperation in the drug field can be strengthened at both European and national level so
that drug policies are relevant to professionals and civil society, while at the same time enabling these struc-
tures to provide feedback to inform policy.

2. Reducing the demand for drugs

We need to further improve the effectiveness of measures to reduce drug use and its consequences by
improving the coverage, quality and effectiveness of demand reduction interventions, i.e. prevention, treat-
ment and harm reduction services. This includes particular attention for vulnerable groups and the preven-
tion of poly-drug use (combined use of illicit and licit substances, including alcohol, volatile substances and
tobacco).

3. Reducing the supply of drugs

We need more effective law enforcement at EU level to counter drug production and trafficking, making full
use of the capacities of Europol and other EU structures. Actions should be based on an intelligence-led
approach that systematically prioritises the suppliers causing the most harm or posing the most serious
threat. The work currently being undertaken to strengthen the links and coherence between the data used
by the various EU JHA entities will be necessary to support this. More coordinated operations via regional
security platforms should be supported. The new platforms should be set up without overlapping and be
compatible with existing structures.

4. Improving international cooperation

The effectiveness of EU, the world's major donor in the struggle for sustainable solutions to the global drug
problem, would benefit greatly from better coordination of national and Community policies. We are ready
to intensify our commitment in the field of international cooperation to this end, while reaffirming that
effective drug control must be based on the concept of a ‘balanced approach’ — emphasizing that illicit
drug cultivation is an important component of drug supply.

5. Improving understanding of the problem

We need to increase our knowledge of all aspects of drug use through more and better coordinated research
and data, including data on drug-related crime and on the way the illicit drug supply market works.

The Action Plan that follows is intended as a framework to implement these priorities and to add European
value where appropriate.

I. COORDINATION

Main priority: More efficient policy development and implementation

Objective

Action

Timetable

Responsible
party

Indicators

Assessment tools

1.

Ensure that a balanced and integrated approach is
reflected in national policies and in the EU approach
towards third countries and in international fora

1. Member States and EU Institutions to effectively
coordinate drugs policy to reflect the objectives of
the EU Drugs Strategy 2005-2012 and this Action
Plan

Ongoing

MS

COM

Council

Commission Progress Review

Objectives of
Strategy
included in national policies

the EU Drugs
Plans

and Action

Drug policy at EU level reflects
the objectives of
the Drugs
Strategy

2.

Ensure effective coordination at EU level

2. The Council's Horizontal Drugs Group (HDG), as
the working group with leading and steering
responsibility for drugs in the Council, should
pro-actively coordinate EU drug policy. The HDG
should identify specific areas of work in other
Council working groups and work towards effective
coordination

Ongoing

Council

Relevant
Parties (1)
actively and vice versa

Council Working
inform/involve HDG

Report on drug-related work
of Council working groups
to HDG

3. The Commission and Council to ensure coherence

Ongoing

COM

between internal and external drug policy

Council

between
drug

external

Coherence
and
realised

internal
policy

Commission Communication
on coordination in internal
and external drug policy

By 2010: COM Communica-
tion on the coherence between
internal
drug
policy

external

and

4. The Council

to examine the state of

the drug
problem once a year, on the basis of the Commis-
sion's annual progress review, relevant reports from
the EMCDDA, Europol and Eurojust

Ongoing

Council

Council conclusions

Presidency conclusions

COM

MS

EMCDDA

Europol

Eurojust

5.

Presidency to convene meetings of
the national
drugs coordinators or their equivalents on a regular
basis
to advance coordination on specific and
urgent issues requiring action. The coordinators to
be invited to contribute to the Council's annual
examination of the state of the drugs problem (see
Action 4 above)

Twice
annually

PRES

MS

Effective impact on policy coor-
dination

Council conclusions

Presidency report to HDG

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3.

Ensure effective coordination at national level

6. Taking into account the work on Drugs coordina-
tion mechanisms in all EU Member States made by
EMCDDA, Member States to examine inter-depart-
mental coordination on drugs to ensure that coor-
dinated positions are presented at EU level and that
the objectives of the EU Action Plan are relayed to
the most effective implementing level

4.

Ensure the participation of civil society in drugs
policy

7. The Commission to seek at least once a year feed-
back on drugs policy from the Civil Society Forum
on Drugs

Ongoing

MS

Member States' contributions
in the HDG and other working
groups are coherent

Commission Progress Review

Reitox national reporting's

Ongoing

COM

Forum meets at
year

least once a

Commission Progress Review

Commission reports outcome
to HDG

Reports from Civil Society
Forum on Drugs

8. The Commission to launch an initiative,

‘The
European Alliance on Drugs’, inviting civil society
organisations across the EU (including e.g. schools,
commercial enterprises, public bodies and NGOs)
to participate in a common framework designed to
create public commitment about and to take action
on drug problems in society.

Ongoing

COM

Wide commitment to Alliance
(COM)

Activity assessment report

9. Member States to involve civil society at all appro-
in accordance with

priate levels of drugs policy,
national practices

Ongoing

COM

MS

society

Civil
national dialogue

takes part

in

Commission Progress Review

MS report to COM

Input
society

received

from civil

II. DEMAND REDUCTION

Main priority: To reduce the demand for drugs, and the health and social consequences of drug use by improving the coverage, quality and effectiveness of services of prevention, treatment and harm reduction

Objective

Action

Timetable

Responsible
party

Indicator

Assessment tools

5.

Prevent the use of drugs and the risks associated
with it

and

interventions

10. To promote innovation in and systematically make
available evidence-based and evaluated universal
prevention programmes
in
different settings (e.g.
towards young people in
youth centres, and schools and towards adults in
workplace and prison), aiming to prevent or delay
first use of drugs. Prevention should also cover
illicit and licit
poly-drug use (combined use of
substances, in particular alcohol) as well as drugs
and driving

Ongoing

MS

availability

Increased
of
evidence-based evaluated pro-
grammes and comprehensive
strategies
including
in MS,
those targeting first use

Prevalence of youth drug use
& perception of peer drug use

Reitox national reporting's

ESPAD & HBSC surveys on
school children

.

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6.

high

Prevent
users
— including injecting drug users — through targeted
prevention

behaviour

drug

risk

of

11. To further develop early detection and intervention
techniques and implement effective, evaluated selec-
tive prevention for vulnerable groups at high risk of
developing drug problems, including injecting drug
use

Ongoing

MS

Trends in drug use

Analysis of risk and protective
factors in drug use

Increased availability of out-
come-evaluated,
targeted
prevention programmes in MS

PDU key
indicator

epidemiological

Reitox national reporting's

12. To further develop and implement effective, evalu-
specific high-risk
ated indicative prevention for
groups
offering
drug
low-threshold access to counselling, problem beha-
viour management
and outreach work where
relevant

(poly-)

users,

by

of

7.

Enhance the effectiveness of drug treatment and
rehabilitation by improving the availability, accessi-
bility and quality of services

13. Increase the effectiveness and spread of evidence-
based drug treatment options covering a variety of
psychosocial
approaches,
corresponding to the needs of drug users (including
relevant treatment adapted to new drugs or types
of use)

pharmacological

and

Ongoing

MS

Trends in drug use

Analysis of risk and protective
factors in drug use

Increased availability of out-
targeted
come-evaluated,
prevention programmes in MS

PDU key
indicator

epidemiological

Reitox national reporting's

Ongoing

MS

Trends
outcome and retention

in treatment demand

key

TDI
indicator

epidemiological

Increased availability of diversi-
fied and evidence-based treat-
ment in MS

Reitox national reporting's

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14. To deliver existing and develop innovative rehabili-
tation and social re-integration programmes that
have measurable outcomes

Ongoing

MS

Increased availability and effec-
tiveness, when possible, of
rehabilitation and reintegration
programmes in MS

Data on availability of social
reintegration

Reitox national reporting's

15. To publicise, where appropriate the existence of
treatment and rehabilitation services and the variety
of options these services offer at national, regional
and local level for potential target audiences

Ongoing

MS

Information strategies in place
in MS

Public register of services avail-
able (e.g. internet portal)

Reitox national reporting's

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

16. To increase the use of, monitor implementation
and further develop effective alternatives to prison
for drug-using offenders

Ongoing

MS

Increased availability of ATP

ATP implementation monitored
(COM)

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

8.

the quality and effectiveness of drug
Enhance
demand reduction activities,
taking account of
specific needs of drug users according to gender,
cultural background, age, etc.

17. To develop, implement and exchange good practice
guidelines/quality standards for prevention,
treat-
ment, harm reduction and rehabilitation interven-
tions and services

2009-2012 MS

Existence of relevant guidelines
and/or quality standards

Level of
guidelines and/or standards

implementation of

Commission Progress Review

E
N

Reitox national reporting's

COM

EMCDDA

MS

COM

EMCDDA

18. Member States to survey the availability and effec-
tiveness of prevention, treatment, harm reduction
and rehabilitation services, in responding to specific
needs, on the basis of a methodological framework
to be developed by the Commission — with the
support of the EMCDDA — and that is compatible
with existing methodologies

2012

Methodological framework for
the survey developed

COM inventory of MS survey
reports

Number of Member States that
complete the survey

19. To develop an EU consensus on minimum quality
standards and bench-marks for prevention, treat-
ment, harm reduction and rehabilitation interven-
tions and services taking into account needs of
specific groups and the work done at national and
international level

2012

MS

Council

COM

EMCDDA

Development of the consensus
standards
on
and
quality
benchmarks
prevention,
for
treatment, harm reduction and
rehabilitation interventions and
services

COM proposal
consensus

on

EU

Council conclusions

20. To develop, as appropriate, services for minorities,

Ongoing

MS

Availability of relevant services Reitox national reporting's

including, for example, migrants

9.

Provide access to health care for drug users in prison
to prevent and reduce health-related harms asso-
ciated with drug abuse

21. To develop and implement prevention, treatment,
harm reduction and rehabilitation services
for
people in prison, equivalent to services available
outside prison. Particular emphasis to be placed on
follow-up care after release from prison

Ongoing

MS

Commission Progress Review

Reitox national reporting's

specifically

Drug policies and interventions
for
implemented
in
delivery of drug services
prison
of
and
ex-prisoners

follow-up

Decrease in drug-related health
problems in prison

O

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drug

indicators

to monitor

22. Member States to endorse and implement in prison
use,
settings
drug-related health problems and drug services
delivery on the basis of a methodological frame-
work developed by the Commission — with the
support of the EMCDDA that is compatible with
existing methodologies, and taking into account the
work done by the UNODC (in the project area of
HIV/AIDS and treat.net) and by WHO (Health in
prisons)

Ongoing

MS

COM

EMCDDA

Indicator to monitor drug use,
drug-related health problems
and drug services conceived
and implemented

Standardised
protocol
situation & responses

monitoring
for prison drug

Report on progress

10. Ensure access to harm reduction services, in order to
reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and other
drug-related blood-borne infectious diseases and to
reduce the number of drug-related deaths in the EU

23. To provide access to, and improve coverage of,
harm reduction services and the variety of options
these services offer options as an integral part of
drug demand reduction, making use of interven-
tions of proven effectiveness where available (2)

III. SUPPLY REDUCTION

Ongoing

MS

COM to report on progress

Decrease in drug-related infec-
tious diseases

Decrease
drug-related deaths

in

number

of

Improved coverage of harm
reduction services

COM follow-up survey of
CR 2003/488/EC

DRID key
indicator

DRD key
indicator

epidemiological

epidemiological

Main priority: A measurable improvement in the effectiveness of law enforcement in the field of drugs at EU level. Europol, Eurojust and other EU structures to fully exercise the respective roles for which they were
created, in the interest of efficiency, EU compatibility of national initiatives, intra-EU coordination, and economies of scale

Objective

Action

Timetable

Responsible
party

Indicator

Assessment tools

11. Enhance effective law enforcement cooperation in
the EU to counter drug production and trafficking

24. To target criminal organisations and emerging
threats, using an intelligence-led approach (based
on the European Criminal
Intelligence Model
(ECIM) methodology) that prioritises the criminal
networks and markets that pose the most serious
threats

Ongoing

MS

Europol

Eurojust

Council

Number of criminal organisa-
threats
tions posing serious
that are targeted by MS using
the ECIM concept

threats

Number and nature of emer-
ging
(such as new
drugs, new trafficking routes
and methods, new manufac-
turing methods) identified

EU Organised Threat Assess-
(and subse-
(OCTA)
ment
conclusions
quent Council
setting
for
the fight against organised
crime)

EU priorities

C

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25. Multidisciplinary

law enforcement

operations,
involving Europol and Eurojust, as well as police,
customs and border control services, will be used
to a greater extent through bilateral and multilateral
cooperation initiatives,
investigation teams
(JIT) and joint customs operations (JCO). Member
States will examine which measures are possible to
facilitate and speed up the process and encourage
greater use of these instruments in drugs cases

joint

Ongoing

MS

Europol

Eurojust

and

outcome

Number
of
drug-related bilateral and multi-
lateral cooperation initiatives,
JITs and JCOs

Number of MS involved

Commission Progress Review

MS reports to COM

Assessment report on results
achieved

26. To improve the quality of intelligence data provided
via Europol National Units to Europol and its
including Analysis Work Files
related projects
(AWF). The emphasis should be on the serious
organised crime
and cooperation from those
Member States most highly impacting upon the
wider EU drug markets

2012

MS

Europol

Report of Europol assessing the
quantity and quality of data
received

Commission Progress Review

Europol assessment report

27. Implementation of drugs related COSPOL projects,

2012

paying special attention to:
— the input of appropriate levels of expertise in

MS

Europol

COSPOL meetings,

— the value added in terms of appropriate intelli-
gence and investigation capacity, and making
appropriate use to this end of already existing
or future Analytical Work Files (AWF)

Expertise of Member States
represented
at management
meetings and the seniority of
MS representation

drivers
Report of COSPOL
assessing the increase in identi-
fiable operational results

Commission Progress Review

MS reports to COM

28. The European Police College (CEPOL) (3) to provide
relevant advanced training (4) for senior police and
customs officers
in
3rd countries
through national police training
colleges

liaison officers

and for

Ongoing

CEPOL

MS

Curriculum developed for drug
law enforcement

Curriculum published

CEPOL annual report

Additional
included in CEPOL AWP

relevant

training

Number of training courses

Number of officers trained

Commission Progress Review

.

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and

29. To make more systematic use of Member State
and liaison magistrates, where
liaison officers
appropriate, in third countries for the exchange of
information
between MS
law enforcement agencies and Europol taking into
account the Council Decision 2003/170/JHA of the
27 February 2003 on the common use of liaison
officers posted abroad by the law enforcement
agencies of the Member States in the version of
24 July 2006, Council Decision 2006/560/JHA

intelligence

Ongoing

MS

Europol

Eurojust

Increase in international opera-
law enforcement coop-
tional
eration reported by Member
States, Europol, Eurojust

Number of
international
enforcement cooperations

law

Commission Progress Review

Evaluation report on MS,
Europol and Eurojust contri-
butions

30. To adopt and implement an EU-wide system for the
forensic profiling in relation to drugs law enforce-
ment
for synthetic drugs and for other drugs,
where appropriate, drawing on, inter alia, the experi-
ence gained through projects such as SYNERGY and
CHAIN, the structure and expertise of Europol and
the Commission's
and
ongoing MS law enforcement activities and experi-
ences in this area

Joint Research Centre,

Ongoing

MS

COM

Europol

System or systems in place

2012
Review
Progress
(including the assessment of
value)

12. Enhance effective judicial cooperation in the area of
combating drug trafficking and law enforcement as
regards production,
and/or
precursors, and money laundering related to this
traffic

trafficking of drugs

31. To encourage the full use of the existing EU instru-
ments on mutual assistance requests in criminal
matters, of European arrest warrants, and of sanc-
tions issued by MS jurisdictions

Ongoing

MS

COM

Eurojust

Report on best practices and
recommendations

Increase in number of mutual
assistance requests

Increase
number
in
European arrest warrants

of

Other indicators to be devel-
oped (cf. Action 61)

COM assessment of Council
Framework Decision 2004/
757/JHA of 25 October
2004 laying down minimum
provisions on the constituent
elements of
acts
and penalties in the field of
illicit drug trafficking

criminal

COM progress review (new
indicators)

32. Member States to consider, where appropriate, to
develop witness protection programmes and to
explore the potential added value of joint coopera-
tion in this field

2012

MS

COM

Eurojust

Existing national legislation

report by the Presi-

Final
dency

C

3
2
6
/
1
6

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

33. To strengthen the cooperation among EU Member
States in order to achieve the full application of the
legal instruments relating to mutual recognition of
confiscation orders

Ongoing

34. To support

the establishment of effective Asset
Recovery Offices in the Member States in accord-
ance with the Council Decision 2007/845/JHA and
to further support
the Member States involved
through the CARIN network. To support investiga-
tions through Europol and related Europol AWFs

Ongoing

MS

COM

Council

Eurojust

Europol

COM

MS

Europol

Eurojust

13. Respond rapidly and effectively at operational, policy
and political levels to emerging threats (e.g. emerging
drugs, new routes)

35. To set up, where necessary, regional security plat-
forms (e.g. MAOC-N, Baltic Sea TF)
to counter
emerging threats by means of coordinated opera-
tional responses. Such action to be compatible with
existing legal and operational arrangements at
EU level and based on specific threat assessments
(see also Action 48). New platforms should be set
up without overlapping and be compatible with
existing structures

Ongoing

MS

Council

Europol

COM

36. The EU to focus on coordinated and joint efforts
between the Member States and regions most
highly exposed to particular drug production/traf-
ficking phenomena, in cooperation with Europol as
appropriate

Ongoing

MS

Europol

Eurojust

Council

COM Communication adopted

Commission Progress Review

Assessments of assets seized

MS reports
assets seized

to COM on

in

number

Increase
of
supported investigations relat-
ing to asset tracing and identifi-
cation

Increase in number and value
of cash and assets confiscated

Response measures
to pro-
actively handle risk and mini-
mise threats have been put in
place in relatively short
time
frame

Increase in number of criminal
operations disrupted (seizures,
changing trafficking behaviour)

Reports by regional
platforms

security

Operational
outcomes of MS action taken

and

strategic

Commission Progress Review

re-
COM implementation
port on Council Decision
2007/845/JHA

Assessment
concerned to Council

report by MS

Security platforms evaluation
report

Commission Progress Review

MS reports to COM

14. Reduce the manufacture and supply of synthetic

drugs

37. Member States to actively maintain law enforce-
ment cooperation/joint operations in this area and
to share intelligence and best practices. Optimal use
to be made of Europol's Analytical Work File
its components (5) and the associated
SYNERGY,
EJUP and COSPOL initiatives

Ongoing

MS

Europol

Eurojust

Outcomes of
initiated/completed

joint projects

Dismantled production facilities
reported to EILCS

Number of SYNERGY reports
generated

Commission Progress Review

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

C

3
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6
/
1
7

15. Reduce the diversion and trafficking in/via the EU of
drug precursors used for the manufacturing of illicit
drugs

38. The EU to develop a clear and unified position on
this matter at international level and in the relevant
international fora, based on existing legislation and
cooperative practices with the private
sector
through effective coordination through the relevant
Council committees

Ongoing

COM

Council

MS

Joint EU positions in interna-
tional fora

Commission Progress Review

COM report on all practices

39. Customs and border control services to integrate
precursor controls at a strategic level, enhancing
the effectiveness of border control management
through
the Community Risk
Management, and to coordinate more closely with
other
in
combating drug production and trafficking

law enforcement

implementing

agencies

engaged

40. The EU to give full support to international opera-
tional cooperation aimed at preventing the diver-
sion of drug precursors, such as the INCB-led
projects PRISM and COHESION. The operational
cooperation among the investigation authorities
within the EU is to be supported by the EJUP coop-
eration framework and the Europol-AWF co-opera-
tion framework. This
cooperation framework
should be further intensified/utilised

Ongoing

MS

Commission Progress Review

MS report to COM

in

Improvement
precursor
control, detection, seizure and
profiling
situation compared
with 2008

Drawing up of profiles for the
chemical
determination
precursors

of

Ongoing

COM

MS

Increase in number of stopped
and/or seized shipments

Commission Progress Review

41. From a

law enforcement

and intelligence-led
perspective, the EU and Members States to fully
support Europol's drug related projects and EJUP,
with a view to combating criminal networks
involved in precursor trafficking

Ongoing

MS

EJUP

Europol

of

to
Increase
Europol projects on precursors
trafficking by MS and EJUP

reporting

and

MS
Report

EJUP

Progress

42. To evaluate EU drug precursor control

legislation

Ongoing

and its implementation

COM

MS

Conclusion of the evaluation

Report published

C

3
2
6
/
1
8

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

43. The EU to develop and exploit, where possible in
consultation with Europol, cooperation agreements
with principal identified source countries of main
synthetic drug precursors

Ongoing

COM

Agreements established

Commission Progress Review

illicit shipments
Reduction of
of drug precursors from the
countries concerned

MS Reports to COM

44. The Commission, OLAF,

and
COSPOL to enhance inter-disciplinary cooperation,
with a view to establishing joint initiatives.

Europol, EJUP

Ongoing

COM

MS/EJUP

Europol

of

Number
interdisciplinary
meetings/joint initiatives estab-
lished

Commission Progress Review

IV. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Main priority: Improve the effectiveness of EU cooperation with third countries and international organisations in the field of drugs through closer coordination of policies within the EU. Promoting the consistent
projection worldwide of the European balanced approach to the drugs problem

Objective

Action

Timetable

Responsible
party

Indicator

Assessment tool

16. Systematically include EU drug policy concerns in
relations with third countries and regions where
appropriate and within the broader development and
security agenda. To do so on the basis of strategic
planning
actors
concerned

and coordination between all

45. To ensure that EU relations with third countries
reflect the objectives of the EU Drugs Strategy and
Action Plans

Ongoing

MS

COM

Drug policy priorities increas-
ingly reflected in relations with
third countries

Agreements, strategy papers,
action plans, etc.

Commission Progress Review

46. To improve the effectiveness of existing frameworks
on drugs such as the Cooperation and Coordination
Mechanism between the
the
EU-Andean Specialised Dialogue and of
‘Drug
Troikas’ with third countries and regions, by identi-
fying specific areas of cooperation and establishing
outcome indicators

EU and

LAC,

Ongoing

Council

COM

Cooperation initiatives
lished and implemented

estab-

Commission Progress Review

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

C

3
2
6
/
1
9

47. In line with the EU's political decisions and strate-
gies and with the support of the MS and EC assis-
tance programmes, to address drug-related concerns
in producer countries and those along (emerging)
trafficking routes, such as West Africa,
through
projects aimed at reducing the demand for and the
supply of drugs, including measures of alternative
development, and preventing the diversion of
chemical precursors. The assistance is to be coordi-
nated, where appropriate, to the drug action plans
between the EU and third countries and regions
(see Actions 51 and 60)

Ongoing

COM

MS

Drug policy priorities reflected
in projects funded

Projects funded reflect balance
between demand and supply
reduction

Synergies established between
funding
and
MS
programmes

EC

Commission Progress Review

48. To step up regional and intra-regional cooperation
to reduce the demand for and supply of drugs in
third countries with the support of MS and
EC funding programmes, such as the Development
Cooperation Instrument and the European Develop-
ment Fund, the Instrument for Stability and the
European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument

Ongoing

COM

MS

New inter-regional cooperation
and
initiatives
implemented

established

Synergies established between
MS
funding
and
programmes

EC

Increase in number and overall
budget of projects funded

Commission Progress Review

49. In the interest of coordination, to establish a moni-
toring mechanism on EU drug-related assistance
given to third countries

Annual

Council

Mechanism established

Commission Progress Review

MS

COM

Annual
mechanism

reports

by

this

Overview of drug-related EC
and MS projects in third coun-
tries

C

3
2
6
/
2
0

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

50. To carry out a survey of the scope and outcome of

2010

COM

Survey carried out

EC drug-related projects in 3rd countries

COM
published

survey

report

51. To update and implement

the EU Drug Action
the Central Asian Republics (6); Latin
Plans for
and the Caribbean (7);
America
and Western
Balkans and Candidate Countries (8)

Ongoing

MS

COM

Priorities identified

Commission Progress Review

Level of implementation of the
Action Plans

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

52. Utilise the Dublin Group consultative mechanism
and maintain an active dialogue with third coun-
tries
implementation of Mini Dublin
the
Groups' recommendations

for

Ongoing

MS

COM

Dublin
Group

Number
of Dublin Group
recommendations implemented

Dublin Group Reports

17. Promote

9597/06

and implement
development

alternative
ument
UNODC/CND/2008/WG.3/CRP.4)
with third countries,
rights, human security and specific
conditions

the EU approach to
doc-
(as
in
44
CORDROGUE
and
cooperation
in
taking into account human
framework

defined

53. To intensify the financial support for the implemen-
tation of alternative development projects and
programmes, making certain that interventions are
properly sequenced and that development assis-
tance is not conditional on reductions of illicit drug
crop cultivation and finance initiatives
the
prevention of illicit drug crop cultivation

for

Ongoing

MS

COM

projects

and
Number
of
programmes
funded in line
with the EU approach on Alter-
(9598/06
native development
CORDROGUE
and
UNODC/CND/2008/WG.3/
CRP.4)

44

(Project/Programmes) Agree-
ments

Project

Internal
and
Programme Monitoring and
Evaluation
and
reports

system

National Statistics of
countries

third

MS Reports to COM

Reported decrease in illicit drug
crop cultivation and increase of
social and economic develop-
the primary stake-
ment at
holder level (9)
in third coun-
tries financially supported from
EU funds

54. To include alternative development into the broader
development agenda of Member States and encou-
rage third countries to integrate alternative develop-
ment in their national policies

Ongoing

MS

COM

National policies, strategies and
reflecting drug
action plans
issues

Poverty Reduction Strategies
Assistance
(PRSP),Country
CAS), National
Strategies
Development
Strategies,
(National) Action Plans

MS Reports to COM

55. To contribute to initiatives within a drugs environ-
ment aiming at the reduction of poverty, conflict
and vulnerability by supporting legal, viable and
sustainable livelihoods

Ongoing

MS

COM

Number of
tives

supported initia-

Initiatives

MS Reports to COM

Impact of the supported initia-
tives on the sustainability of
legal livelihood systems:

— food security and income
generation of the poor are
increased,

— access of poor people to
social and productive infra-
structure are improved

Project

Internal
and
Programme Monitoring and
Evaluation
and
reports

system

imple-
Surveys
Baseline
mented by WHO, WFP, FAO

Number of evaluated projects
that
positive
impact

shown

have

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

C

3
2
6
/
2
1

18. Strengthen EU coordination in the multilateral
context and promote an integrated and balanced
approach

56. To ensure better

coordination and continuity
between the HDG and MS delegations to the United
Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND),
including through the appropriate burden-sharing
among Member States on the initiative of
the
Presidency

2009

Council

PRES

MS

Coordination between Vienna
delegations and HDG strength-
ened

Commission Progress Review

57. To prepare, coordinate and adopt EU common

Ongoing

positions and joint resolutions in the CND

Number of joint EU resolutions

Commission Progress Review

EU
common
supported by other regions

positions

Convergence
Indicator
(9099/05 CORDROGUE 27)

PRES

MS

COM

Council

58. To present an EU position in the high-level segment
of the 52nd CND on the evaluation of and follow-
up to UNGASS '98 (10), reflecting the fundamental
principles of EU drugs policy

2009

Council

MS

COM

Inclusion of the EU's positions
in the UN Political Declaration

Commission Progress Review

59. To coordinate activities with other international
fora or programmes,
in particular UNODC,
Pompidou Group, WHO, UNAIDS, WCO and
Interpol

Ongoing

MS

COM

Regular mutual information on
activities in appropriate fora, in
particular at HDG meetings

Coordination strengthened

Commission Progress Review

19. Support the candidate and stabilisation and associa-

tion process countries

60. To provide the necessary technical and other assis-
tance to these countries to familiarise them with
the EU acquis in the field of drugs and to assist
them in carrying out the required actions, including
those adopted in the drug action plan with the
Western Balkans (11)

Ongoing

Commission Progress Review

Country reports

MS

COM

Council

EMCDDA

Europol

Countries increasingly comply-
ing with EU acquis

Number and quality of projects
completed

Advancement
dialogue
and/or cooperation with rele-
vant EU agencies

of

Level of
action plans

implementation of

C

3
2
6
/
2
2

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

20. To improve cooperation with European Neighbour-

hood Policy countries

61. To improve the dialogue on drugs with European
Neighbourhood Policy countries in a bilateral or
regional context,
through existing
in particular
subcommittees

Ongoing

MS

COM

Effective result of dialogue

Commission Progress Review

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

62. The Commission to encourage these countries to
use the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument
to implement the drug sections of the ENP Action
Plans

Ongoing

COM

V. INFORMATION, RESEARCH, & EVALUATION

of

Number
projects
the ENP Instrument

implemented

drug-related
under

Commission Progress Review

E
N

Main priority: Improving the understanding of all aspects of the phenomenon of drug use in order to expand the knowledge base for public policy and raise awareness among citizens of the social and health impli-
cations of drug use, and to carry out research

Objective

Action

Timetable

Responsible
party

Indicator

Assessment tools

21. Expand the knowledge base in the field of drugs by

63. The Council and Commission to:

2009

promoting research

— identify future EU research priorities in the field
of illicit drugs and the mechanisms needed in
order to generate new knowledge,

— develop new approaches and technologies,
— strengthen research capability by developing
and focusing its strategic direction and taking
steps to improve cooperation in the EU

Research priorities established

Mechanisms identified and put
in place

COM proposal on research
in EU

Council Conclusions

MS

COM

EMCDDA

Council

22. Ensure the exchange of accurate and policy-relevant

information in the field of illicit drugs

64. Member States to provide Reitox (12) National Focal
Points (NFP) with the necessary resources to meet
the obligations and quality standards of EMCDDA
membership. NFPs to contribute to the EMCDDA
on the basis of annual agreements and with appro-
priate support from the EMCDDA

Ongoing

MS

EMCDDA

EMCDDA annual report on
NFP capacity

Reitox national reporting's

of

data

Exchange
required
for monitoring & evaluation
purposes

Level of Reitox funding and
other resources match require-
ments

NFPs contribute according to
agreed standards

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

C

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2
6
/
2
3

23. Further develop instruments to monitor the drug
situation and the effectiveness of responses to it

65. To further improve and fully implement the five
indicators and the
EMCDDA key epidemiological
development of new indicators and measures in
drug demand reduction

2012

MS

EMCDDA

COM

EMCDDA compliance report

COM services
drug-related data

paper

on

Increase
compliance of MS
with implementation criteria
for key indicators

in

Improvement
treatment
demand and problem use (13)
indicators

Indicators/measures for rehabi-
litation and reintegration

Measures
reduction

in

drug

demand

that have
Number of MS
fully implemented Treatment
Demand Indicator

66. To conduct a scientific study to assess the use of
the internet as a tool in relation to illicit drug traf-
ficking and to analyse which national, European
and/or international measures may be effective to
counteract

2010

MS

COM

Outcomes of
study

the

scientific

Report of the study by COM

67. To develop key-indicators for

the collection of
policy-relevant data on drug-related crime,
illegal
cultivation, drug markets and supply reduction
interventions and to develop a strategy to collect
them

Ongoing

COM

Key indicators identified

Implementation strategy devel-
oped

EMCDDA

Europol

MS

COM services
drug-related data

paper

on

C

3
2
6
/
2
4

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

68. To develop analytical instruments to better assess
the
and impact of drug policy
(e.g. model evaluation tools, policy effectiveness
indices, public expenditure analysis, etc.)

effectiveness

2010

COM

69. To assess

the functioning of Council Decision
2005/387/JHA on the information exchange, risk
assessment
and control of new psychoactive
substances, and amend, if necessary

2010

EMCDDA

MS

COM

Council

EMCDDA

Europol

EMEA

Analytical
oped

instruments devel-

COM studies

EMCDDA

More accurate analysis of drug
situation

Assessment conducted

Assessment report

Possible amendment proposed

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

24. Ensure the ongoing evaluation of drug policy

70. Member States to evaluate and fine-tune national

Ongoing

MS

drug policies on a regular or ongoing basis

Number of countries that have
evaluated drug policies

evaluation

MS
published

reports

71. To present an annual progress

review to the
Council and the European Parliament on the imple-
mentation of
the Action Plan, and to present
adapted/improved indicators and reporting mechan-
isms for monitoring and evaluation where appro-
priate and necessary

72. To have

independent

an external,

assessment
carried out of the implementation of the EU Drugs
Strategy 2005-2012 and EU Drugs Action Plan
2009-2012, followed by a reflection period prior
to follow-up

Annual

COM

EMCDDA

Europol

MS

Council

COM

Council

MS

2012

Annual progress review deliv-
ered

Availability of relevant indica-
tors

Commission Progress Review

Assessment of achievement of
individual actions

External
published

evaluation report

The impact on the overall drug
situation is known

These Council Working Parties include: Police and Customs Working Parties, the Multidisciplinary Group on Organised Crime, the Health Working Group, External Affairs Working Groups and the Economic Issues Working Group.
This action builds on the Council Recommendation 2003/488/EC on the prevention and reduction of health-related harm associated with drug dependence.
European Police College; Council Decision 2005/681/JHA.
Including dismantling of illicit drug laboratories.
Project SYNERGY includes the Analysis Work File (AWF), the Europol Illicit Laboratory Comparison System (EILCS) and the Ecstasy Logo System, the latter incorporated within the general Europol Synthetic Drugs Seizure System (ESDSS).
12353/02 CORDROGUE 78 CODRO 1 NIS 107.
7163/1/99 REV 1 CORDROGUE 19 CODRO 2; Port of Spain Declaration — 10451/07 CORDROGUE 34 COLAT 9 AMLAT 54.
5062/2/03 REV 2 CORDROGUE 3 COWEB 76 + COR 1.
13501/1/08 REV 1 CORDROGUE 71 UD 172, Annex III.
Political Declaration (resolution S-20/2, Annex) of the twentieth Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11) 5062/2/03 REV 2 CORDROGUE 3 COWEB 76 + COR 1.
(12) Réseau Européen d'Information sur les Drogues et les Toxicomanies.
(13) EMCDDA indicator to be brought in line with criteria of public health relevance (such as intensity of use and health consequences) including international classifications (DSM-V/ICD-10).

.

2
0
1
2
2
0
0
8

.

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
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o
n

i

C

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2
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/
2
5