Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-18-Speech-4-081"
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"en.19991118.6.4-081"2
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"Mr President, this debate follows the communication to Parliament of the European Commission’s action programme to combat drugs between 2000 and 2004. This programme is not of course a magic recipe which will solve the drugs problem. However, the debate here today may help to raise Parliament’s awareness of the massive threat which drugs represent, on the basis of real rather than imaginary data, and help bring about both short- and long-term improvements to the current critical state of affairs.
Let me say straight away, Mr President, that we approve and endorse the Commission’s programme; however we have formulated a number of reservations, the same reservations formulated by the Commission itself, as regards the inadequate evaluation of programmes and more general shortcomings in relation to the threat which actually exists. Over the last fifteen years, Mr President, drugs have not just been a vague threat: the number of synthetic drugs has increased, as has the quantity of cocaine imported into Europe, while heroin is still the main problem. They have become a deliberate threat derived from the relationship between organised crime and drug trafficking, the trade in arms and nuclear materials and the emergence of new criminal organisations from Central and Eastern Europe.
Unfortunately, communications and the information society help the drugs trade. Clearly, there is no unequivocal solution to this tremendous problem. What is important is that we understand that, if we are to aim for long-term prevention, we must implement policies to abolish the drugs trade and provide treatment for and rehabilitation of drug addicts, so that we can help make prevention a success or at least stabilise the situation. The proposal of the Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs is therefore quite clear. We consider that greater political will is needed, Mr President, and greater political will mean that we declare war on drugs and drug traffickers without compromise.
Secondly, we have noted that there is a lack of fundamental coordination. The Portuguese presidency therefore needs to take the initiative and create an inter-pillar council which will meet on a yearly basis in order to coordinate all the action taken within the Union and establish a climate of international coordination. There must be full and correct application of the resolutions of the United Nations Organisation and the Special Session and, Mr President, Commissioner, a special anti-drugs clause which commands the same respect as and is on a par with the human rights clause should be included in all agreements with third countries. Without greater political will, without this type of initiative and without a more general policy at European and worldwide level, there will be no results. The increase in the drug problem cannot be blamed solely on present economic and social circumstances, poor standards set by parents or television. It is a far more complex, far more widespread problem. Any unequivocal solution or any solution of an administrative nature which fails to take account of the full extent of the real public health problem and the medical aspects of the matter would therefore be a serious mistake.
Organised crime, Mr President, Commissioner, is running at a faster pace than its prosecutors nowadays. It is precisely, therefore, at the political level that we must step up our action. The policy on drugs must be mainstreamed. It is not only a policy matter for the Ministers of Health. It is not only a policy matter for the Ministers of Justice. It is a major political problem which basically accounts for or is linked to 80% of international crime, while 50% of transactions throughout Europe relate solely to the trade in and movement of drugs.
If the Summit, which we feel should deal directly with this matter, fails to understand that this is a most serious political issue, which stretches far into the future and that our inability to deal with it multilaterally, as we should, has started to become more and more apparent, creating disappointment among our citizens, then we shall be unable to stabilise the situation in due course. Because drugs, Mr President, will be with us for a long time to come. What is important is that we improve the indicators, improve the public health aspects and give a larger number of citizens the chance to realise the extent of the threat and stand up to it."@en1
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