The EU's interior ministers agreed, on October 24 in Luxembourg, to strengthen common action against drug trafficking in West Africa, which is known to be a transit area for 10% of the world's cocaine production. The aim is to improve cooperation between national services, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), international agencies, and the EU and its agencies, including Europol, the European Police Office based in The Hague, to coordinate joint police action. 

Beyond supplying means to West African countries, the Council wants to streamline, coordinate and pool, as early as possible, the action of member states’ liaison officers sent to the region. Its goal is also to intensify member states’ technical police cooperation, particularly as regards training.

Though the use of heroin, cannabis and synthetic drugs such as ecstasy is stagnant or falling, cocaine use is increasing sharply in Europe. Currently there are at least 12 million users, according to the European Commission. During the 2005-2007 period, 33 tonnes of cocaine, from West Africa and destined for Europe, were seized, specifies the Council. According to the Commission, some 250 tonnes of cocaine are brought into the EU each year, with increase in usage in the UK, France and Spain.

However, the first victims of this traffic, and of organised crime in a broader sense, are the countries of the region and their population, notes the EU27, particularly concerned with the contributions from such underground activity to possible terrorists activities.

“I have noted what the French EU Presidency wants, and that is coordination of all actions to prevent drug trafficking in West Africa,” said EU Justice, Liberty and Security Commissioner Jacques Barrot. This is the vision that he aims to defend on the occasion of the ministerial conference of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (ONUDC), in Praia, Cape Verde, on 28 and 29 October.

Judging actions carried out till now to be too weak, member states want to “make West Africa a priority zone” in the framework of the future EU action plan for 2009-2012 that the Commission presented on 18 September. “Member states have a responsibility to act against this development, and focus the action of their specialised services, ensuring that this action constitutes a coherent whole,” say European ministers. They are also ready to “unite their efforts and focus them, while creating new tools if necessary”.

Europe already funds several programmes, such as MAOC-N in Lisbon, aiming to create operational platforms for liaison officers from member states in Senegal and Ghana, Mediterranean Anti-drugs Coordination Centre (CECLAD-M), and an anti-drug cooperation platform in Dakar (on the initiative of the UK, France, Italy and Spain). Bilateral programmes have also been launched in the framework of the ninth European development fund to help partner countries – Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana – to combat the drug invasion.

New European plan

The consumption figures in Europe are staggering. For the most serious drug addiction cases together, the EU has two million 'problem users', and about 7,500 people die each year from an overdose. More generally, 70 million take cannabis – or have taken it – out of 500 million Europeans, 12 million have taken cocaine, 9.5 million ecstasy and 11 million amphetamines. Finally, at least half a million Europeans have officially received heroin substitution treatment.

This has pushed the Commission to intensify its European strategy, which began in 2005, while retaining the basic principle: tackle both supply and demand. “And, unlike member states, we are going to act on demand with a lot of determination and courage,” stressed Barrot. His plan includes “five major priorities”: reduce the demand for drugs and increase awareness; mobilise European citizens; reduce drug supply; improve international cooperation; and promote better understanding of the drug phenomenon.

Other cultivations

A whole series of police and customs measures are also set out, while the number of seizures continues to grow in Europe, particularly thanks to close cooperation between member states and Europol. Here, too, cocaine has seen a steep increase, with seizures going from 72 tonnes in 2004 to 121 tonnes in 2006. Furthermore, the Commission also wants to improve detection for driving under the influence of drugs and combat combinations of drugs (multiple addictions).

The EU will increase its aid for the fight against drugs in producing countries, particularly Afghanistan (one billion euro – against €452 million in 2005), and the coca producing countries in the Andean region in South America (€230 million against €220 million). Europe is also the biggest contributor to the UNODC. If action in Afghanistan is made even more difficult by the very close link between drug trafficking and terrorism or in the context of a real armed conflict in Latin America, the commissioner is more confident: “well targeted actions” are anticipated and governments are making considerable efforts. For example, the EU wants to offer farmers in Bolivia, Argentina and Colombia the possibility of growing other plants to replace the cultivation of coca.