Communication: Evaluation of the implementation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 and of the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2013-2016: a continuous need for an EU Action Plan on Drugs 2017-2020

The EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 and its first Action Plan on Drugs 2013-2016 set out a political framework and priorities for the EU’s drugs policy. The Strategy provides a single, evidence-based framework for tackling drugs inside and outside the EU, and is based on a five pillar structure consisting of two main policy areas - the reduction of drug demand and the reduction of drug supply - and three cross-cutting themes: coordination; international cooperation; and research, information, monitoring and evaluation.

The Strategy requires the Commission to "initiate an external mid-term assessment of the Strategy by 2016, in view of preparing a second Action Plan for the period 2017-2020". With the support of an external contractor, the Commission conducted the mid-term assessment of the Strategy and the final evaluation of the Action Plan between April and November 2016. Due to their complementarity and interconnection, these are presented in the form of a single, comprehensive evaluation.

This Communication sets out the results of the evaluation and proposes the steps to be taken next. In view of the overall findings of the evaluation, the Commission has decided to propose a new Action Plan for the period 2017-2020. Building on the results of the evaluation, and given that the strategic framework will not change before 2020, the new proposed Action Plan is an updated version of the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2013-2016 with a number of modifications. It reflects the findings and the recommendations of the assessment that the Commission found pertinent as well as a number of additional actions to address new and emerging priorities which have not been sufficiently covered by the previous Action Plan, but are relevant in light of challenges EU Member States are currently facing.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Commission proposes a new EU Action Plan on Drugs to enhance action against drug use and trafficking http://www.europeansources.info/record/commission-proposes-a-new-eu-action-plan-on-drugs-to-enhance-action-against-drug-use-and-trafficking/

EUR-Lex: SWD(2017)95: Evaluation of the implementation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 and the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2013-2016 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2017:95:FIN

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