Brussels, 04/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption on Thursday in Brussels of the report by Charlotte Cedeschiöld (EPP-ED, Sweden), the European Parliament approved the two Swedish initiatives relating to the transmission of samples of illegal narcotics and to a system for specific analysis by scientific police with a view to determining the profile of synthetic drugs. These two proposals for combating crime fill a considerable legal void. The amendments by the EP aim to clarify the two decisions on terminology and interpretation.
As far as the transmission of samples is concerned, the EP insists that: 1) this transmission must take place in the way that offers maximum security and that guarantees against the abusive use of samples; 2) the point of contact of the Member State that intends to send the sample and the Member State that is to receive the sample agree on the means of transport that is the most appropriate and the safest before transmission takes place; 3) the following means of transport are considered reliable: transport by an official of a sender or receiver Member State, by diplomatic case or by express registered mail; 4) a sample does not exceed the quantity that is considered necessary for prosecution or legal action or the analysis of the sample.
This being the second proposal for legislation, the amendments aim more particularly at the creation of a network of analysis laboratories throughout Europe. The EP specifies that: 1) A network of European scale is set in place so that the candidate countries may make an operational contribution. The network will be responsible for carrying out, according to reliable and duly defined norms, specific police analyses on synthetic drugs seized, and for comparing results. This will be in the aim of detection and prevention of criminal infringements as well as for inquiries and prosecution through identification mainly of the links between the product manufactured and the source. The system includes police scientific laboratories. 2) It must be determined whether there is concordance between the samples analysed and other samples analysed in the context of the system set in place at EU level. Finally, the EP considers that the data and the information on samples must be the subject of an exchange not only within the EU but also with third countries.