Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-04-08-Speech-2-144"
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"en.20030408.3.2-144"2
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"Mr President, Mrs Malliori recently took the first steps in the European Parliament to open up lines of thought that may lead to the legalisation of drugs. Now, the advocates of legalisation are going further and challenging existing international agreements. There is therefore good reason to stand up for what until now has been a wise policy on the part of the European Parliament.
Mrs Buitenweg’s report urges a review of the UN conventions and the reclassification of drugs. The long-term aim seems to be a free market for certain drugs and then for all drugs and, subsequently, the decriminalisation of drug misuse. Neither I nor the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats can support this. Mrs Buitenweg presents the matter in a very intelligent way. It is only when the explanatory statement is studied that it is apparent that we are in actual fact concerned here with the legalisation of cannabis and that the long-term aim is to legalise all drugs. That is something that is apparent from various passages.
The tone adopted by those who advocate legislation has changed and become more polished in recent years, giving greater reason for concern. Harm reduction
sounds innocent enough, as if it meant reducing damage, but, if used wrongly, may conceivably become a tool for those who wish to legalise drugs. We are concerned here not only with methadone and needle exchange programmes but also with what is termed the safer use of drugs, as if there were any such thing.
The pressure is increasing upon young people and families. It is no wonder that most parents are opposed to the legalisation of cannabis. The best thing society can do to help is not to increase access to drugs of any type. The EU is making important efforts to combat the drugs trade. We must not therefore open the way to further drug trading by the back door.
I have three pieces of advice for the governments and the Commission in the run-up to the Vienna Summit. Firstly, do not touch the UN conventions, but push instead for their being implemented in full by all the Member States.
Secondly, let issues of care and treatment remain national competences. On this matter, I am obviously thinking along the same lines as Mr Davies in wanting to respect the Member States’ different experiences and traditions in this area.
Thirdly, an accessible and adequate supply of individually tailored care and rehabilitation services is a better route to countering misuse than the reclassification of different kinds of drugs. Market tools should be used for what there is a real desire to bring about: not more drugs or drug addicts, but more effective care with a view to leaving drug problems behind."@en1
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