It is with great pleasure that I have accepted the invitation to address this important conference.
Today and tomorrow, policy makers and experts in the field of supply and demand reduction meet to exchange views on the main of the local, national and international drugs strategies and to provide hopefully some new elements for actions on drugs, integrating prevention, prosecution and rehabilitation.

1. INTRODUCTION

The global and threatening dimension of drugs has been understood since many years and initiated quite a number of national and international counter measures.
However, global and regional efforts especially in the EU and Schengen States to reduce demand and supply have, until now, not resulted in a substantial decrease in drug abuse or a major disruption of supply lines.
On the contrary, there seems to be still an increase of the overall threat due to the greater efficiency in drug production, the strong involvement of organised crime in drugs trafficking and the still too low awareness of the risks by the public and sometimes even by state authorities.

To face successfully this challenge makes it therefore necessary to take a comprehensive view on drugs including political, social and economic as well as law enforcement dimensions when looking for solutions. And we have to make full and best use of our available resources.
The drug problem must not be tackled only in the context of counter-narcotic operations – the whole society must be involved. Fostering dynamic partnerships among the law enforcement authorities at the European and even the global level is one of the necessary steps to ensure a thorough response to the threat by drugs and crime. This has to be combined with partnership between state authorities, private business and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
However, until now despite all national and international efforts our response is still too often dominated by the diversity of political, ideological and national interests and hampered by the variety of different law systems, police and judicial structures and crime policies.

2. THE GLOBAL THREAT BY DRUGS
2.1. Consumption

The drugs phenomenon is a major concern to the citizen of Europe and worldwide; it has a profound impact on individual and collective health and safety. Drugs jeopardise health, livelihood and security of our citizens, and the relationship between drug abuse and crime has become a dominant factor in our modern societies.

The drug problem has got a global dimension and its trans-national nature puts drugs production and trafficking beyond the reach of any single government. The total number of drug users in the world is now estimated at some 185 million people, equivalent to 3% of the global population, or 4.7% of the population aged 15 to 64. These estimates of the United Nations in its World Drug Report 2004 confirm that cannabis is the most widely used substance (close to 150 million people), followed by the ATS (about 30 million people for the amphetamines, primarily methamphetamine and amphetamine, and 8 million for ecstasy). Slightly more than 13 million people use cocaine, and 15 million use opiates (heroin, morphine, opium, and synthetic opiates), including the some 9 million who take heroin.

In terms of health impact, as measured by the demand for treatment services, opiates seem to remain still the most serious problem drugs in the world. We have to be, however, aware that heroin addicts are the most visible drug consumers and their need for medical and social help is the most obvious. The figures mentioned above may therefore be not fully correct. We all know that amphetamine and methamphetamine have become major problem drugs in Europe and South East Asia and their health and social consequences may become as dramatic as those of opiates.

The spread of drug abuse in general continues with cannabis still by far in the lead. After cannabis the highest increases were for amphetamine-style stimulants (mainly ecstasy) followed by cocaine and the opiates. In Europe, synthetic drugs, either ecstasy or amphetamine, are especially popular amongst young people well integrated into society.

The drugs consumption alone creates already enormous social and health problems for citizens, their families and communities. When however linked with HIV infections, the consequences get dramatic. Global estimates, provided by UNAIDS and WHO, indicate that by the end of 2003 between 34 and 46 million people were living with HIV/AIDS. Between 4.2 and 5.8 million people were infected in 2003 alone. In the same year, between 2.5 and 3.5 million people died of AIDS. While the bulk of new infections are due to unsafe sexual behaviour, the use of contaminated injection equipment among injecting drug users continues to fuel the pandemic, particularly in Eastern Europe, Central, South and South East Asia and Latin America.

2.2. Production

The global illicit production of opium (from which heroin is processed) at around 4,000 to 5,000 metric tons has become increasingly concentrated in Afghanistan. An increase of opium poppy cultivation to some 120,000 hectares in 2004 produced the largest crop ever of Afghan opium. Thus, the equivalent of 50% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) may be derived from opium poppy cultivation plus the processing and trafficking of heroin.
Myanmar accounts for 1,100 tonnes, equating to 100 tonnes of heroin. Most of it stays within the region. Laos accounts for 2% of world’s opium production. Opium poppy is cultivated on a small scale in Vietnam and Thailand.

According to the UNODC, the rapid decline in cultivation of opium in South East Asia has put tremendous economic pressure on farmers, often from ethnic minorities, who have relied for decades on opium production as a means of survival. There is evidence in the eastern Shan states of Myanmar that some of these populations are now facing a humanitarian crisis.

Colombia is the main source for opiates in Latin America with an estimated annual yield of some 8 tonnes of heroin. Opium poppy is also cultivated in Mexico. Latin American heroin has a limited impact upon Europe since most of it is destined for the United States.

The Andean region remains the world’s major producer of cocaine, even though cultivation of coca has reached its lowest levels since 1985. The area under cultivation in Colombia, Bolivia and Peru combined declined considerably in the last years with the majority of cultivation (56%) taking place in Colombia, followed by Peru (29%) and Bolivia (15%). In recent years, farmers have however improved coca yields from 500 kg to 800 kg per hectare in four harvests per year. Some 100,000 families depend on coca production.

The wide spread of cannabis cultivation over the world and the virtual absence of cultivation monitoring systems and surveys make it impossible to have an accurate assessment of the location, extent and evolution of cultivation and production of cannabis which is now reportedly cultivated in more than 140 countries throughout the world.

Morocco remains the principle source country for cannabis resin destined for Europe. Cultivation is concentrated in the Rif region. A UNODC survey carried out in July 2003 reveals that a quarter of the agricultural land in that region is used for cannabis cultivation. Some 96,600 families (66% of the rural households) are involved in the cultivation of cannabis.

Hydroponic cannabis cultivation takes place in many European States, although in most cases this relates to home-grown cultivation for personal use. However, sophisticated higher capacity facilities are commonplace in The Netherlands. In 2003, 1,867 cannabis nurseries were dismantled in The Netherlands and 1.1 million cannabis plants seized.
Large-scale cannabis cultivation in Belgium takes place under the control of Dutch professional growers.
The spectacular progression in seizures of illegal synthetic drugs and laboratories since the mid-1990s is consistent with the increases reported for ATS consumption.
The European Union consistently reports 50 to 70 major synthetic drug production and storage sites seized per year, with by far most of them in The Netherlands and Belgium.
Whilst this represents a stable situation numerically, advances in methodology plus the use of specialists and sophisticated equipment have resulted in an ever increasing production efficiency and capacity. Investigations in Member States, some of which were initiated by Europol indicate that a limited number of criminal facilitators play a crucial role in supplying, often to different producers at the same time, precursor chemicals, equipment and tabletting powders for synthetic drug production.

Sophisticated equipment, both industrial and custom made, is now almost always found in large production sites in Europe. Distillation and tabletting machines are diverted from industry or obtained on the second hand market.

Other equipment, including reaction vessels and vacuum separators, is invariably custom-made according to specifications provided to criminal facilitators. Given their important role in the production process, these facilitators should be priority targets for criminal investigations.

Production of synthetic drugs in Western Europe, principally amphetamine and ecstasy, is controlled by criminal groups from The Netherlands and Belgium.

Production sites are often located in residential areas such as suburbs and holiday centres. This is a disturbing trend, considering the high risk of pollution, fire and explosion.

3. DRUGS TRAFFICKING IN A WIDER EUROPE

Drugs business has developed global markets making use of modern transport and communication systems but also of the liberalisation of trans-border crossing and of tourism. This is especially true in Europe. The enlargement of the European Union to the now 25 Member States, and the removal of border controls between more and more states have created a common area of freedom, security and justice.
This area offers free movement for some hundred million citizens and free traffic of goods and services, however enables also organised crime and drug traffickers to extend their activities. Drug trafficking groups get new markets for their illegal goods and services as well as new opportunities for the production of drugs and for laundering their illegal gains.

As Europe is a major consumer market for illicit drugs, the demand has created the need for large-scale trafficking in these substances, which is controlled by powerful organised crime. No region in Europe is excluded from this new development. Drugs trafficking has become big international business: heroin is transported from Central Asia, cocaine from South America to Europe. Huge amount of cannabis resin are being smuggled from Morocco via Spain, along the South-Northern axis, thus impacting upon several Member States. A solid criminal network across different Member States guarantees the wholesale distribution within the Union.

Trafficking of synthetic drugs predominantly takes place at an intra-European level. However, in recent years, Europe has developed into the global supplier of ecstasy.

The new EU Member States are not only developing into favorite transit regions for drugs but have got a serious consumption problem. In addition, the production of synthetic drugs especially amphetamines takes now often place in Poland and the Baltic States.

The principal trafficking routes for the various types of illicit drugs have been in existence for decades and, whilst these routes remain prominent, there is a growing diversification of trafficking patterns: a two-way use of the Balkan Route with increased trafficking, in addition to precursor chemicals, of ecstasy and cocaine from Western Europe into Central and Southern Europe and Turkey; a further development of maritime cocaine trafficking from South America via Western Africa into Europe and the increasing role of Albania as a producer country of cannabis and a storage country for various types of drugs.

Large-scale production and trafficking of drugs remain the most common forms of crime among criminal networks that target the European Union.

Despite the fact that the public opinion is realising drugs trafficking as criminality coming from outside Europe, in reality, indigenous groups or groups dominated by nationals from other European States play still the most important role in organised drugs crime in Europe.

Non-indigenous groups that deserve attention are the ethnic Albanian, Colombian, West African, North African and Turkish organised crime groups. Among criminal organisations from the new Member States, groups from the Baltic States and Poland seem to be the most dynamic and aggressive.

Flexible network structures are increasingly emerging, adapting and responding to new requirements and challenges very fast. The specialisation in certain fields of the drugs market and the constant mixing of legal and illegal activities are further noteworthy trends. The most powerful organised crime groups are often involved in drugs trafficking linked with trafficking in human beings, commodity smuggling and some forms of financial and property crime, especially focussing on ‘low risks – high profits’.

Ethnic or cultural similarities, although still important, are no longer the predominant or only binding factors within particular criminal organisations which are enhancing their ability to co-operate and network among each other.

Drugs trafficking organisations have become more international in the composition of its members and its strategic geographical planning. Local dealers are interlinked to international criminal organisations. So, as in the “old” EU Member States, organised crime active in trafficking of drugs influences the drugs scene in big cities as well as rural areas of the new EU Member States.

4. THE ROUTE OF MISERY

What I have presented to you are more or less exact figures and facts. But behind these informations there are human beings and families which suffer. Drugs production and trafficking have become a global industry from which some states and regions are depending economically, but at the same time a business with millions of victims.

And you will find victims already among those who assist in the production and the transport of drugs. Thousands of poor farmers and their families in the Andean have been forced or persuaded to cultivate coca plants. Now they are depending on the income of the coca harvest. And they are threatened with violence and even death by so called revolutionary and/or terrorist groups and brutal criminal organisations to continue with the coca production and with severe punishment by the official military or police forces to stop the production: Effective eradication of coca bush and law enforcement actions against the processing of cocaine are hindered by paramilitary and revolutionary forces that largely depend on incomes from the coca industry. Over the past five years, more than 1.5 million Colombians have fled to escape rural violence.
What happens in the Andean takes place similarly in the Middle East or in other regions of the world.

Also among those transporting the drugs into the consumption regions we find often victims. Women and men living in misery are persuaded with money, the promise of a better future or violence to smuggle heroin or cocaine into Europe, North America, Jpan or Australia. The percentage of those who die by accident during this trip or get arrested is rather high. And after arrival, they are often forced into prostitution or illegal work, so into a modern form of slavery.

At the same time we realise that the source and transit countries and regions become very soon also consumption countries and areas. Those who assist in drugs production and trafficking are often paid not with money but with drugs. They get themselves drug addicts or they try to sell the drugs in their villages and cities.

And at the very end of this route of misery we have the millions of drug addicts with their health, social and financial problems. But not only the drug addicts are victims but even more their families. And as the addicts have often to finance their drug consumption by criminal offences we have to count those who become victims of theft, burglary, robbery committed by drug addicts also as victims of drugs.

5. THE STRATEGIC RESPONSE

It is obvious that single states cannot address this criminality of a global nature in isolation. For that reason, the United Nations and the UNDCP are permanently developing counter drugs strategies and specific legal and methodical instruments for implementation. And the European Council decided several years ago that a common drugs strategy should be developed as the basis for a concerted European Union policy on drugs, to be implemented through Action Plans that complement national efforts and addresses both the supply and the demand side in a balanced way.
For the same reason - the promotion of European Union-wide co-operation and co-ordination -, EU Member States created Europol and the EMCDDA; the first one as the Union’s law enforcement institute for combating serious crimes, including the production and trafficking of drugs; the latter to address the various aspects of drug demand.

A European Union Drugs Strategy for the years 2005-2012 has been agreed upon. The new strategy aims “to protect and improve the well-being of society and of the individual, to offer a high level of security for the general public and to take an integrated, multidisciplinary and balanced approach to the drugs problem in which supply reduction and demand reduction are mutually reinforcing elements in drugs policy”. It takes into account the final evaluation of the previous European Union Strategy on Drugs and the European Union Action Plan 2000-2004.

In the area of supply reduction the focus will be on intensifying law enforcement co-operation between Member States by making better use of existing instruments and frameworks such as Joint Investigation Teams, the European Arrest Warrant, Europol and Eurojust. Emphasis is put on actions against the production and cross-border trafficking of drugs, the diversion of precursor chemicals, money laundering, criminal networks operating internationally and the prevention of drug-related crime.

The strategy encourages a regional approach, in which Member States that face a common problem, for example the illegal trade in precursor chemicals, cocaine smuggling via airports, heroin or cannabis smuggling by sea or production of drugs, may intensify operational co-operation. Other Member States, which are not confronted with the same problems, are free to participate in any initiative of this

The European Union Drugs Strategy (2005-2012) forms the basis for two 4-year action plans, which contain activities aiming at a clear added value measurable and realistic results. The plans state expressly a timeframe in which actions should be implemented, as well as those responsible for executing them and for reporting on their progress. Often, these initiatives have had a positive impact on the quality and the effectiveness of law enforcement co-operation. However, there is often a gap between political aspirations and the wishes and possibilities of law enforcement agencies and other competent authorities.

Thus, there may be a political decision with a high potential, which cannot be implemented effectively due to the lack of appropriate structures in Member States, the reluctance of law enforcement agencies and administrations, a lack of resources or differences in priorities.

In the two days of our conference important questions will be raised: to what extent do we need to develop other, new elements in our drugs strategies and, more importantly, to what extent do we need to develop an action plan containing new operational initiatives, how do we implement effectively and efficiently the strategy and the action plan and how do we evaluate the results and modify – if necessary – our approach.

New initiatives, however, should be based on the principle of added value with a view to facilitating existing means of co-operation rather than aiming at new ways.

My suggestion, therefore, would be to first of all focus on existing initiatives:
- to refine them where appropriate;
- to monitor their implementation;
- to achieve and maintain the commitment of those who have to implement them and
- to evaluate their effectiveness.

New initiatives should preferably be limited to resolving constraints in existing actions or closing gaps in international co-operation and should be started only after proper consultation between those who develop policies and those who have to implement them.

6. EUROPEAN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EUROPOL

International law enforcement related to drugs criminality faces still enormous problems, even in the “common area of freedom, security and justice” of the Eruopean Union:

Our law enforcement efforts are too often based on isolated political, professional and personal initiatives.
Our strategic and operational law enforcement at European as well as national level is yet not predominantly intelligence led!
They are hampered by obstacles which cannot be justified anymore. For example, in many investigations we need the information, intelligence and support by private business. But partnerships between law enforcement agencies and security services or with private business are often not possible due to legal obstacles.

We need a better flow of information, a willingness to share intelligence and to join in a common approach in the investigations and executive measures, all this to be based on an appropriate legal basis.

This will enable us to implement an Intelligence Led Policing, the most promising concept for preventing and investigating criminality.

The aim of this concept is to enable a structured approach to operational work, providing by strategic and operational analysis the knowledge to the decision-making level for long term planning, necessary priorities of operational actions and the allocation of resources. For such a successful EU-wide intelligence led policing we need an intelligence agency as Europol serving the national law enforcement agencies as well as the competent EU-bodies and Third Partners.

The mission of Europol is to support the Member States’ competent authorities in their efforts combating international relevant and organised crime. Europol is established as a multi-agency office in which national police forces, customs authorities, law enforcement agencies with a certain military character (Gendamerie, Carabinierie), border guards and security services join their efforts.

Europol is an intergovernemental organisation. The cooperation in the Europol framework faces therefore several major challenges, but offers at the same time new opportunities:

The Europol Convention gives a legal framework for a common approach in combating international drugs criminality and other crime (analytical guidelines, data gathering procedures, data protection etc.).

Even more important, Europol offers an appropriate professional framework for all forms of bilateral and multi-lateral law enforcement cooperation. In addition to the 370 own Europol staff, the 25 European Union Member States, the Schengen State Norway as well as the future Accession States Bulgaria and Roumania are represented with liaison officers at the Headquarters and fully integrated in the strategic and operational work of Europol. In all Member States, Europol National Units have been established and are normally part of the National Police Authority. The Europol National Units are the link between the local, regional or national police forces of the Member States with Europol.

The Europol National Units and Europol liaison officers in The Hague deal with bi- and multi-lateral exchange of information and sensitive intelligence. They establish together Europols common projects in crime fighting as well as common operations and investigations.

Europol itself is the central European Union data provider for law enforcement agencies related to international organised crime. Europol is a clearing house for sharing information and sensitive intelligence. Europol has established a Virtual Private Network which enables a secure communication between the Member States and with Europol. Central databases are created or in preparation for hard facts as well as for intelligence data.
Europol is transmitting regularly early-warning messages especially in the priority crime areas, drugs trafficking, trafficking of human beings, illegal immigration, terrorism, financial crime and counterfeiting of the Euro. Such early-warning messages are based on contribution of Member States, on own data collection for example in internet or in open sources and on own operational work.

Based on the information exchange among Member States and the transmission of data in specific investigative projects, Europol develops strategic analysis which enables the European Union Member States and the European Union to implement an intelligence led policing. The strategic analysis of Europol delivers in addition threat assessments and risk analysis related to geographic areas, to new modi-operandi or to important criminal organisations.

Such analysis makes it possible to identify the priorities in relation to the crime areas that need to be targeted and helps to allocate our resources effectively.

Resulting from the strategic analysis operational analysis has to start in order to support operations and investigations of the law enforcement agencies of the Member States and of partner countries.

Numerous national and local investigations are now supported by operational analysis from Europol. The findings of those life investigations are transmitted to Europol, stored in our analytical system and then transformed into intelligence by more than 60 Europol analysts. The analysts identify links between known and still unknown members of criminal organisations and enables so a more efficient and effective investigation by the competent national authority. Actually, Europol supports 20 major analytical projects, among those one third related to drugs trafficking.

A high variety of expertise is present at Europol and can be offered to the Member States. In addition, Europol has developed a database on excellency available in Member States which gives you the possibility to get in contact with experts in other countries needed for your work.

Europol initiates new international investigations and coordinates the activities in these projects if so wished. These activities have in the meantime often developed into common Europol investigations. There are joint investigation teams working at the Europol headquarter itself and consisting of seconded law enforcement officials from the Member States.
More often, common investigations take place in which the officials stay in their law enforcement agencies and investigate in their country, however, following a common investigative concept developed at Europol. These officials participating in such joint operations meet weekly or monthly at Europol to decide on each of the coordinated investigative measures.

Complimentary to the cooperation of Europol with the national authorities of the Member States there is a close cooperation with other European Union institutions especially with Eurojust, the Network of national prosecutors, OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office), the Police Chiefs Task Force and Cepol. Outside the European Union our most important partner is Interpol. Since 2 years Europol has seconded a liaison officer at the Headquarter of ICPO Interpol in Lyon.

There is also partnership with third states and other international initiatives. Such cooperation takes place and is only allowed on the basis of a detailed agreement finally decided upon by the Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs. Such agreements have been signed with the United States, with Russia, Norway, Iceland, Columbia etc. Europol has seconded 2 liaison officers to Washington in the months after 11th September 2001. Cooperation with other international initiatives takes place when Europol supports Member States in common projects as it is the case in the Baltic Sea Task Force or in other similar projects.

7. SUMMARY

The threats by organised drugs criminality which expands often its activities into other crime fields are still increasing, especially because of the internationalization of criminality. States, cities and law enforcement agencies have to adapt to this new development. Despite the fact that the drugs prevention and counter drugs police work have to be done mainly on a local or national level international cooperation and even a common international approach in combating drugs crime is a “must”.
The European Union and its partners have developed a strategy for the common fight against drugs consumtion and drugs trafficking. The implementation of this strategy makes progress, however, the progress is sometimes rather slow.

 
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