Fight against drugs: European action plan 1995-1999

This Commission communication to the Council and the European Parliament on the Community action plan to combat drugs (1995-1999) presents the mainstays of the fight against drugs in the Community along the lines laid down in the Treaty on European Union, which calls for full cooperation on policy to combat this problem, both under public health provisions and in the areas of Justice and Home Affairs (third pillar). The Commission proposes a global approach covering the three key elements in the fight against this scourge: - action to reduce demand; - action to fight drug smuggling and - international action. . Action to reduce demand: on the basis of Article 129 of the Treaty on European Union, the Commission proposes focusing on: - prevention (information activities for risk groups, health education, vocational training programmes, screening and monitoring); - promoting the social and professional rehabilitation of drug addicts; - help for very high risk groups; . Action to fight drug smuggling under the third pillar of the Community by: - implementing existing legislative instruments (e-mail, exchanges of information etc.); - promoting cooperation with third countries using Community legislative instruments and other relevant international agreements as a model. At the same time, there will be specific cooperation between the police, customs and courts through "EUROPOL" and controls will be stepped up, especially at the Community's external borders. Provision is also made for support measures (e.g. a European forum for exchanges and cooperation between cities, exchanges between professional organizations responsible for reducing demand etc). . Action through both international and multilateral cooperation (cooperation with the UN drug control programme, Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe etc.) and bilateral cooperation (stronger national and regional strategies to fight drugs). This action will also seek to include clauses on the fight against drugs in agreements with third countries and to make this a priority in terms of trade policy (SGP, Lomé). This action is only possible within a framework of closely coordinated action at Member State level, at Community level and at institutional level (coordination with the Community institution in charge of these questions, viz. the "REITOX" monitoring centre).�