19/06/2026 (Agence Europe) – Faced with the growth of the drug market on the continent (see EUROPE 13884/11), the European Council agreed on the need to devise a comprehensive and co-ordinated strategy at the summit which concluded on Friday 19 June.
On the basis of the ‘EU Drugs Strategy’, recently adopted by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European Council underline the importance of addressing all aspects of the drugs phenomenon which includes “protecting public health, strengthening security, preventing drug-related harm, and fostering European and international partnerships and cooperation initiatives”, they explain in their conclusions.The EU27 also took note of the European Commission’s plan to present a proposal for a new sanctions regime targeting transnational criminal organisations and called for “consistent action towards third countries harbouring drug traffickers”.
Sierra Leone, a preferred area for the storage and redistribution of drugs destined for Europe, is particularly targeted. On the sidelines of the summit, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten threatened to reduce official development assistance if Freetown again refuses to extradite the criminals. He is targeting in particular drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, sentenced to a total of 81 years in prison in the Netherlands and Belgium for drug trafficking and related offences.
Emphasising the vulnerability of Europe’s major ports to this scourge, his Belgian counterpart, Bart De Wever, also undertook to expand the international ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code) to incorporate the fight against illicit trade.
Link to the conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/mgw (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)