The Council of the EU is currently finalising the contours of the new European drugs policy for the post-2025 period. According to a preliminary document which Agence Europe has been able to consult, the future “EU Drugs Strategic Framework”, which will be examined by the Horizontal Drugs Group on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 February, will be the result of “constructive and innovative cooperation” with the Commission, which already presented its Strategy on the same subject last December (see EUROPE 13766/1).
The aim of this framework is to “improve the well-being of society” while strengthening the EU’s ability to “anticipate and respond to health and security threats”, at a time when increasingly “sophisticated” drug markets are fuelling crime and corruption on a scale “never seen before”, the EU Council observes.
In technical terms, the framework breaks down into three main principles: a strict balance between “reducing supply, demand and drug-related harm”; an allocation of resources “proportionate to the strategic priorities” most likely to achieve the objectives set; and the strengthening of dialogue with third countries, including China, the United States and Latin American countries through the EU-CELAC cooperation mechanism.
The document specifies that the framework established will respect the mandates of Europol and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), without however “prejudging future discussions on the revision of their mandates”. An overall assessment of the results is expected by “the end of 2032” at the latest. (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)