Fight against drugs moves centre stage

Date: 19/09/1996

IRELAND will demonstrate its determination to use its presidency to make the EU more relevant to its citizens by putting drugs high on the agenda at next week's informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers.

But continuing differences between the French and Dutch governments over drugs policy underline the difficulties facing any attempt to agree a common approach to the problem.

The chasm between the two has, if anything, deepened after a high-profile ideological battle earlier this year between hard-line French European Affairs Minister Michel Barnier and liberal Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van Mierlo.

France claims the Netherlands' lenient approach opens the door for drug smugglers to gain access to countries in the passport-free Schengen zone. The Dutch are convinced that taking an inflexible stance only aggravates drug problems.

The dispute reached such heights in March that a planned 'mini-summit' designed to explore common ground was postponed indefinitely. Despite continued bilateral meetings since then, no new date has been set, underlining the rift between the two countries.

Responding to increasing domestic and international pressure, Ireland has made the fight against “the scourge of modern societies” a top priority for its six months at the helm of the Union.

At their informal meeting in Dublin on 26-27 September, ministers will discuss a number of Irish initiatives to limit the drugs supply. These include plans to step up cooperation between forensic scientists, to improve protection of the EU's external borders, and to consider whether member states' laws and sentencing policies should be brought closer together.

But Irish officials stress that they are taking a pragmatic approach towards what can and should be achieved, and are deliberately avoiding any grandiose attempt to align policy.

The prolonged dispute between France and the Netherlands has also prompted European Commission officials to foster a practical approach to EU-level drugs control.

A key report to be released later this year will examine to what extent drug prevention would be assisted by the harmonisation of national laws. Based on the results of numerous seminars throughout the continent, Commission officials suggest it will not favour legal unification.

Far more important, the report is likely to suggest, are concrete measures to improve the flow of information through the Europol Drugs Unit.

Other important areas for action include increasing control over deliveries of goods and closing the gaps in legislation on new synthetic drugs.

The Irish presidency believes progress can be made in some key areas. There is little controversy, for example, over its proposals to improve contacts between forensic laboratories. Some EU countries have state-run facilities, while others rely on private contractors, and communication has not been as effective as the police would have liked.

On the other hand, a draft declaration that drug trafficking offences should attract the highest possible penalties may spark greater debate. Irish officials claim, however, that it represents no more than an affirmation of principles on which member states already agree.

Council of Ministers officials share this optimism. “There are no indications that Franco-Dutch disagreements have hampered progress in the working groups,” said one.

A Dutch official was also keen to dispel any impression of third pillar acrimony.

“Cooperation is the defining feature of the European Union. Although there may be some controversy, there is always discussion,” he said.

Such claims might carry more weight if French borders were not still closed to travellers from the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.