Heads of States Can Change the Course of International Drugs Policy in 2016: Where does the EU stand?

Abstract:

A quick overview of the past ten to fifteen years ́ developments in drugs policies in Europe reveals two diverging trends: a public health and social policy track on the one hand, and a security policy track on the other. While as the future of drugs policy as a political field in its own right is being questioned in the European context, the EU has explicitly stated its objective of a greater involvement and role in international drugs policy. Apart from continuity in harm reduction and research promotion – i.e., EU’s key contributions to global drugs policy – EU support to larger and deeper reconfigurations of the global drug prohibition regime remains highly unlikely.