Michael Noonan
Question:71 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the contact he has had with his counterparts at EU and international level to curb the international drugs trade. [30395/03]
Written Answers. - International Drugs Trade.
Senior officials in my Department actively participate in efforts to curb the international drugs trade at both EU and international level.
At EU level, my Department engages actively in the EU horizontal drugs group, HDG, a senior level working group. The year 2004, as Ireland takes on the Presidency of the EU, will be an important one in the fight against the international drug trade. The EU Action Plan on Drugs 2000-2004 will conclude and the priorities for the new EU Strategy on Drugs 2005-2010 will be set. To this end, my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, will host a drugs strategy conference to set the priorities for the new strategy in May 2004.
In the past week, officials from my Department have participated in EU-third country troika meetings under the aegis of the HDG with the Balkans, Iran, Latin American and Caribbean Countries and the United States of America. These meetings focused inter alia on co-operation in the fight against the international drug trade.
At an international level, my colleague the Minister for Health and Children recently hosted the ministerial conference of the Pompidou group. The Pompidou group is an inter-governmental body composed of 34 member states. Its aims are to stimulate the exchange of knowledge and experience between policy makers, professional groups and researchers on drug related issues, policies and programmes; to promote comprehensive drug strategies at national regional and local level; and to improve data collection systems in Europe, monitor new trends and problems and define lines of action. The main theme of the ministerial conference was new challenges for drug policy in Europe and international co-operation in the reduction of the supply of drugs was discussed.
Ireland also participates in the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and as President of the EU, will be co-ordinating the EU approach at the coming year's 47th session in March 2004. Officials from the Department attended the reconvened session of the 46th session on 27 November 2003, which agreed the main theme of synthetic drugs and control of precursors for the 47th session, covering the production, trafficking and abuse of synthetic drugs, including mandrax, and strengthening systems for the control of chemical precursors, preventing their diversion and trafficking.
In the context of curbing the international drug trade, the Department will also host an international conference on HIV-AIDS in Europe and Central Asia on 23-25 February 2004.