Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on progress in the EU’s 2013-2020 drugs strategy and 2013-2016 action plan on drugs

Illicit drugs are a complex social problem, which affects the lives of millions of people. While consumption of drugs such as heroin or cocaine has gone down in the past few years, new psychoactive substances are increasingly accessible on the open market and/or online, posing serious health threats. The human and social costs of drugs addiction are very high. They generate costs for public health (on drug prevention and treatment, healthcare and hospital treatment), public safety, the environment and labour productivity.

The European Agenda on Security acknowledges Europol's assessment that the market for illicit drugs is the most dynamic criminal market. Drug trafficking and drug production remain among the most profitable criminal activities for organised crime groups active in the EU. The value of the European opiates market has been estimated at approximately €12 billion, while the estimated use of cannabis, the most popular drug in the EU, amounts to 2,000 tonnes. Cocaine is the second most widely used drug in the EU: in 2013 EU Member States seized more than 61 tonnes of it. In addition, the internet has emerged in the last couple of years as an online marketplace for drugs.

In 2013 the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) improved its reporting on the situation on drugs in Europe. Also, in 2013 the EMCDDA and Europol issued the first EU drug markets report at the European Commission's request. The two EU agencies will publish a second edition in early 2016.

The EU's 2013-2020 Drugs Strategy and the 2013-2016 Action Plan on Drugs set out the EU's political framework and priorities on drugs policy. The strategy provides a single and evidence-based framework for tackling drugs inside and outside the EU. It aims to contribute to reducing both demand and supply for drugs within the EU, and to reducing the health and social risks and harm caused by drugs. The Strategy has three cross-cutting themes: (a) coordination, (b) international cooperation and (c) research, information, monitoring and evaluation.

This report presents the main progress the EU achieved in 2013 and 2014 in implementing its 2013-2020 Strategy and 2013-2016 Action Plan on Drugs. Detailed findings are presented in the accompanying Commission staff working document.

EUR-Lex: SWD(2015)257: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the report http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2015:257:FIN

---