On Tuesday 20 January, the European Parliament adopted the joint resolution tabled by five groups (EPP, Renew Europe, S&D, Greens/EFA and The Left) calling for a tougher EU response to the rise in drug trafficking, following the murder of Mehdi Kessaci in Marseille, France (see EUROPE 13787/9).
Seven amendments shaped the final text. MEPs from Renew Europe began by pointing out that drug traffickers “may seek to exert pressure or undue influence on local elected representatives and voters, compromising the integrity of democratic processes”. Amendments by the Patriots for Europe (PfE) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) went on to point out that drug trafficking “finances local and international paramilitary or terrorist organisations”, calling for “increased human, material and technological resources allocated to external border controls” and the adoption of “zero tolerance policies on driving under the influence of drugs”.
The overall text was approved by a large majority, which Marie Toussaint (Greens/EFA, French), co-signatory of the resolution, described as a sign of “a shared awareness of the seriousness of the situation”, in a press release published the same day.
The resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/kbn (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)