Council Regulation (EC) No 2046/97 of 13 October 1997 on north-south cooperation in the campaign against drugs and drug addiction

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2046/97 of 13 October 1997 on north-south cooperation in the campaign against drugs and drug addiction
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 130w thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),
Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189c of the Treaty (2),
Whereas the impact on the structures of a developing society of an economy based on the production of drugs, or which derives a substantial revenue from them, undermines a country's smooth integration into the world economy;
Whereas the breakdown of social structures in developing countries due to drug consumption and the related industry is detrimental to sustainable social development and the attainment of the goals of Community policy in the sphere of development cooperation as defined in Article 130u of the Treaty;
Whereas as part of the effort to combat the supply of drugs it is essential, in particular, to effect a radical reduction of poverty in the south and to offer the population a lawful alternative to the growing of illegal crops;
Whereas institutional support should be given to those developing countries which so request so that they can combat drugs more effectively;
Whereas in a communication to the Parliament and to the Council dated 23 June 1994, the Commission presented its guidelines for a European Union plan of action on drugs for 1995-1999, including measures at international level;
Whereas Parliament stated its views on the guidelines in its Opinion on the communication, adopted on 15 June 1995;
Whereas the Fourth ACP-EC Convention and the cooperation, association and partnership agreements concluded by the European Community with developing countries contain clauses on cooperation to curb drug abuse and drug trafficking, the monitoring of trade in precursors, chemical products and psychotropic substances and the exchange of relevant information, including measures in the field of money laundering; whereas there is a relationship between the campaign against drugs and drug addiction and the aims of the cooperation policy pursued by the Community and its developing-country partners;
Whereas the international community's strategy to curb drug abuse and drug trafficking is based on universal accession to the Single Convention on narcotic drugs of 1961, as amended by the Protocol of 1972, the Convention on psychotropic substances of 1971 and the International Convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances of 1988, and on the systematic implementation of those conventions at national and international level;
Whereas the European Community is a party to the Convention of 1988, in particular by virtue of Article 12 of that Convention, and has adopted Community legislation based on the recommendations of the Chemicals Action Task Force set up by the G7 and the President of the Commission in 1989, the effectiveness of which would be generally enhanced by the adoption of the relevant legislation and procedures in other parts of the world;
Whereas effective action against drugs must also encompass measures against the laundering of money from drug trafficking, such as the adoption of a suitable legal framework and appropriate mechanisms in the countries concerned;
Whereas human rights must be duly respected in implementing measures under this Regulation;
Whereas the Member States of the European Community have endorsed the policy statement and general plan of action adopted by the UN General Assembly at its 17th special session;
Whereas a financial reference amount within the meaning of point 2 of the Declaration by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 March 1995 is included in this Regulation for the period 1998-2000, without thereby affecting the powers of the budgetary authority as they are defined by the Treaty,