Nieuwe Europees Actieplan voor Drugs 2005-2008 (en)
The Council will endorse on Monday 27 June 2005 the EU Drugs Action Plan for the next four years, on the basis of the Commission's proposal put forward last February [1] . The main aim of the Plan is to significantly reduce the prevalence of drug use among the Union's population and to reduce the social harm and health damage caused by the use of and trade in illicit drugs.
Vice-President of the Commission Franco Frattini i, responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security said: "The Union has opted for the most effective way of tackling the drugs phenomenon: a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach which considers the issue from every angle: demand reduction, fight against illicit trafficking and international action. The balance between health protection and law enforcement measures achieved in this Drugs Action Plan shows that we can safeguard fundamental rights and strengthen citizen's security at the same time."
Drugs are one of the major concerns of the European citizens and a major threat to the security and health of our society. The EU has up to 2 million problem drug users. The use of drugs, particularly among young people is at historically high levels. The incidence of HIV/AIDS among drug users is causing increasing concern in many Member States.
In view of tackling this situation the EU Drugs Action Plan 2005-2008 is a guide for all stakeholders in the EU when setting priorities in the area.
The Action Plan contains more than 100 actions, sets out distribution of responsibilities and schedules for their implementation. Clear and concrete assessment tools and indicators have been introduced for each action proposed, to enable proper evaluation. The Commission will carry out a continuous and overall evaluation of the measures contained in the Action Plan, with the support of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and Europol.
The EU Drugs Action Plan is a major component of "The Hague Programme: Ten priorities for the next five years - The Partnership for European renewal in the field of Freedom, Security and Justice", which has also been endorsed today.
[1] COM (2005) 45