EPC Dialogue: “European Drug Policy on the Brink of Change”

EU countries have now a long tradition of diversity in policies and practices when talking about the drug problem. It is always interesting to look at the wide ranging drug measures applied at all levels of the EU, from local communities, cities, regions, countries and European institutions.

This diversity is grounded on fundamental principles shared by all the EU member states when addressing health, social or public safety issues: policy should be local rather than centralised and should try to take into account both public health and the human rights of European citizens. This has lead over the years to carefully drafted rules and practices, mainly at local level, which have shifted the drug problem from crime and law enforcement to health and prevention.

These common principles do not only bring the 25 EU member states together behind a new five-year Strategy Action Plan. They also mean that the EU should have an important input when it comes to the global dimensions of drug policy.

Regrettably, there is a considerable gap between drug policy developed at home and the very limited achievement made at international level. Europe appears to stay mute on the international scene, depriving many countries from its rich and thoughtful experience in developing both pragmatic and innovative drug policy.

I am speaking more particularly here about the international body dedicated to global drug policy-making: the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, where EU countries, together with the EU Commission, are by far the main contributors with an approximate US$ 33 million contribution for the year 2002.

It is clear that there is a significant discrepancy between the high level of the EU contribution and how little this contribution is reflected on the CND agenda and programmes. This is illustrated in what has been so far the general tendency of the CND for repressive rather than preventive approaches.

In other words, the European Union’s economic and political dimension and political input should be more clearly manifest in the CND agenda. This not simply a “Euro power trip”, but will benefit the wider international community by allowing a full range discussion on global drug policy.

Indeed for a number of countries, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, alternative drug measures such as clean needle exchanges are vital components of their fight against HIV/Aids. The current international drug framework clearly still does not permit such alternatives and reduces the possibility for EU aid in this regard. The lack of legal status is particularly regrettable when one looks at the recent positive efforts of the UN Organisation on Drugs and Crime to review the different options to reinforce HIV/Aids prevention measures.

EU member states could take the opportunity of the next session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to re-direct its efforts by placing more conditions on their contributions. This makes sense when one looks at United Nations 2008 goals “of a drug free world”: CND parties should start to work towards the development of more appropriate goals, which are less absolute but undoubtedly effective.

Civil society will show once again its willingness to help in an open and collaborative way. In this regard, I am very honoured to announce that The Senlis Council will organize next month an International Symposium to launch a “track two initiative” to build the new global drug policy framework, in parallel with the work undertaken by UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs session,.