On Friday 29 September in Brussels, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and the Colombian Minister of National Defence, Iván Velásquez Gómez, chaired the second EU-Colombia dialogue on drugs.
The two leaders reviewed the latest developments in drug-related policies, strengthening cooperation on reducing drug supply, demand and harm, according to a press release. The impact of illicit crop cultivation and drug processing on the environment and the gender dimension of drug policy were also addressed.
The Commission is due to present an EU action plan on drugs and a European ports alliance to combat drug trafficking, reportedly on 17 October.
At a press briefing with her counterpart, the Commissioner recalled the extent to which drug-related violence extends to everyday life, with a young girl recently losing her life in Antwerp in a settling of scores.
The first EU-Colombia dialogue on drugs was held on 17 June 2022 in Bogotá. The EU and Colombia are both concerned about the current escalation in drug trafficking worldwide, explains the Commission’s press release.
The Commissioner recalled that 77% of cocaine and heroin seizures worldwide are made by Latin American countries. In March, the Commission proposed a joint project to strengthen the exchange of information between Europol and Colombia in order to dismantle criminal structures.
The Commission has also launched ‘Schengen’ evaluations focusing specifically on the drugs issue, as well as an evaluation of high-risk ports (on a voluntary basis), which will also provide more information, Ms Johansson added.
On Friday, the Commissioner also announced the launch in the coming weeks of EMPACT2.0 (European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats) to enable an even better response to various threats, including drug trafficking. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)