Fight against drugs: Post-1999 Union's strategy. Report, European Council of Cardiff 1998

Adopting the report by Hedy d'Ancona (PSE,NL) on the post-1999 EU drugs strategy, the European Parliament recommends to the Council that all initiatives relating to drugs be coordinated by one Commissioner. It calls for better use to be made of the work undertaken by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and for the facilitation of significant participation by the applicant countries in its activities. More generally, the Parliament wishes to be more closely involved with projects and decisions in this area. It concurs with the proposal to encourage more effective cooperation between the police, customs and law enforcement bodies so that assets gained through crime can be confiscated. It urges that funds thus gathered should be used for programmes and projects associated with drug abuse. Noting that the Council pays hardly any attention to prevention and information as instruments for demand reduction for drugs, the Parliament recommends that, in collaboration with the EMCDDA, the Member States plan actions in these areas and that a specific strategy be drawn up to this end. Finally, it wishes to see good use of EU funds for North-South cooperation for action against drugs, so as to assess whether the stated aims are actually being achieved.�