Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-06-16-Speech-5-038"
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"en.20000616.3.5-038"2
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"Mr President, rapporteurs, ladies and gentlemen, Parliament’s proposed amendments on the Drugs Monitoring Centre seek to fundamentally change the remit of the original Centre. As a result, the consensus enjoyed hitherto will be abandoned. The purely information-gathering centre is to be converted into a drugs-combating centre. It cannot be right to bring in the Swedish method through the back door, because this implies working towards the goal of a drug-free society across Europe. But there never will be a drug-free society. Or are cigarettes and alcohol going to be banned too?
Despite this restrictive policy being pursued with greater vigour, the number of drug-related deaths has not fallen. Last year in Germany alone, there were over 1 800. A drugs policy of abstinence has led neither to fewer addicts nor to less crime; neither has it led to less drug-related prostitution nor reduced so-called organised crime. European drugs policy therefore needs a new guiding principle. This principle is called damage limitation. Damage limitation is pragmatic and based on reality, whereas abstinence is a moral programme which does not work.
Instead of solutions being sought, however, the mandate of the originally neutral information-gathering centre is now to be extended to cover criminal prosecution. At the same time, in the Commission it is intended that, from now on, the issue of prevention should only play a minor role as a small part of health policy. In addition, the Commission is making life difficult for NGOs working on drugs. For example, their prevention projects are being hindered by the Commission’s disbursing the approved funds several months late.
Is it the aim of European drugs policy to place more emphasis on criminal prosecution and to cut back on prevention? As far as I am concerned, this is the wrong way forward. That is why I shall be voting against this amendment to integrate criminal prosecution into an extended remit of the Drugs Monitoring Centre. All those colleagues who are interested in having a drugs policy based on people’s needs will, I hope, do likewise."@en1
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