Written Answers. - European Action against Drugs.
Ray Burke
Ceist:
34
Mr. R. Burke
asked the
Minister for Justice
the efforts, if any, the Government has made at European level to secure concerted action against drugs; the specific action, if any, she has taken on this matter at Council of Ministers level; and the degree of success she has achieved in this regard.
[18318/95]
The Cannes European Council in establishing a strategy for European action against drugs agreed a medium term plan for implementation over a five year period (1995-1999) and also a Commission Programme for Community Action for the Prevention of Drug Dependence. The Council also mandated a group of experts from the member states to submit to the Madrid Council an analytical report dealing with the measures to be taken to ensure practical implementation of this strategy.
At the presentation of the draft expert report to the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 23 November I welcomed the proposed practical measures which will form the basis for a programme of activities during both the Italian and Irish Presidencies, to combat the scourge of drug trafficking in all member states. In particular, I emphasised the pivotal role of the Justice and Home Affairs area in tackling illegal trafficking by adopting measures to increase protection of the external borders of the Union, maximising police-customs co-operation, combating all forms of money laundering and improving judicial co-operation.
Meetings of the Justice and Home Affairs Council with Third Countries (Central and Eastern Europe, Mediterranean countries, USA) have also considered the importance of addressing the drugs problem. The Council has given the Commission approval to negotiate an agreement with Member Countries of the Organisation of American States on the Control of Drug Precursors. The objective of this agreement is to control chemicals normally intended for legitimate manufacturing, from being used in the illicit manufacturing of drugs.
The adoption earlier this year, of the Convention establishing a European Police Office (Europol) will facilitate greater exchange of criminal intelligence in the fight against drug trafficking. Indeed, the appointment of a Liaison Officer from the Garda Síochána (at Inspector level) to the Europol Drugs Unit, the forerunner of EUROPOL, has substantially strengthened our participation in the European fight against drugs. Some of the seizures of drugs by our law enforcement agencies have been facilitated by our participation in the work of the Unit.
Ireland has secured funding in the region of £200,000 for a pilot training exchange programme which focuses on the development of joint strategies, methods and closer co-operation in policing drug trafficking in the European Union. The project will involve the exchange between a number of member states of operational police involved in drug trafficking.
The work of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction in providing the Union with reliable and comparable information concerning drug addiction and its consequences is a further practical measure in the fight against drug trafficking.
