The European institutions (European Commission and Council, and the EMCDDA) and member states have broadly been a progressive and civilizing factor in pushing for balanced, evidence based and humane drug policies and programmes. A multiannual EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 sets out the objectives and actions for EU countries and the Commission on drugs.
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European Drug Policy at Crossroads
European institutions are taking a wrong turn with simplistic messages and priorities of the failed policies of the past
IDPC Advocacy Note
January 2012In recent years of global debate on policies and strategies on controlled drugs, the European institutions (European Commission and Council, and the EMCDDA) and member states have broadly been a progressive and civilizing factor in pushing for balanced, evidence based and humane drug policies and programmes. However, just when the wider global debate is shifting in accordance with these principles, and there are real political opportunities to create more balanced, humane and effective drug policies, there are worrying signs that the European institutions are taking a wrong turn – the vision and leadership on this issue is notably absent, and some of the more recent positions taken seem to indicate a return to the simplistic messages and priorities of the failed policies of the past.
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Towards a stronger European response to drugs
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council
European Commission COM (2011) 689/2
October 25, 2011With the Lisbon Treaty now in place, the European response to drugs needs to be strong and decisive, addressing both drug demand and drug supply. New legislation involving the European Parliament, and implemented by the Member States, will be subject to the scrutiny by the European Commission and ultimately the Court of Justice of the European Union.
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Evaluation of Dutch Drug Policy
English summary
Margriet Van Laar (Trimbos-instituut) & Marianne van Ooyen-Houben (WODC) eds.Trimbos-instituut (Utrecht) / WODC (The Hague)
June 2009The main purpose of this evaluation was to determine to what extent the principal goal of Dutch drug policy has been achieved, as stated in the 1995 Policy Document on Drugs (Drugsnota). This asserts the primacy of protecting public health, and thus gives priority to drugs prevention and to the management of the individual and social risks that arise from drug use.
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Global Illicit Drug Markets 1998-2007
Peter Reuter (RAND) and Franz Trautmann (Trimbos Institute) (eds.)European Commission
March 2009This report commissioned by the European Commission, found no evidence that the global drug problem has been reduced during the period from 1998 to 2007 – the primary target of the 1998 UNGASS, which aimed to significantly reduce the global illicit drugs problem by 2008 through international cooperation and measures in the field of drug supply and drug demand reduction. Broadly speaking the situation has improved a little in some of the richer countries, while for others it worsened, and for some of those it worsened sharply and substantially', among which are a few large developing or transitional countries. Given the limitations of the data, a fair judgment is that the problem became somewhat more severe.
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