31996G1212(01)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 29 November 1996 on measures to address the drug tourism problem within the European Union (96/C 375/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union and, in particular, Article K.1 thereof,

Whereas combating drug addiction and cooperation for that purpose are matters of common interest to the Member States;

Whereas the comprehensive action plan to combat drugs agreed upon by the Madrid European Council on 15 and 16 December 1995 emphasized the need to address the drug tourism problem in Member States;

Conscious that drug tourism is a continually changing problem within the European Union;

Taking into consideration the causes of drug misuse and the need for prevention;

Recognizing that drug tourism is in evidence in only some Member States and that there is considerable variation in the extent of the problem experienced by those Member States;

Desiring to promote and ensure a high level of liaison between appropriate Member States to facilitate an effective and efficient response to the drug tourism problem;

Desiring to ensure that the most effective organizational response is in place to deal with the problem;

Noting that some Member States already have bilateral or multilateral agreements in place to tackle the problem,

HEREBY ADOPTS THIS RESOLUTION:

1. In order to tackle the drug tourism problem more effectively in the European Union, the Council invites the Member States concerned:

(a) to improve and accelerate exchange of information;

(b) to coordinate operational actions, and

(c) mutually to enhance procedures for the application of national law in regard to drug tourism.

2. Having regard to the variation in the extent of the drug tourism problem experienced by individual Member States and consequently in the need for specific measures to address it, the Council invites each Member State concerned, where appropriate:

(a) to improve and accelerate the exchange of information by using existing channels at central, regional and local levels, or, where necessary, by the creation of such channels. This will include, where necessary, the participation of a central law enforcement focal point to enhance coordination in respect of the drug tourism problem in each such Member State and to maintain contact with the central law enforcement focal points of other Member States. The national law of each Member State should apply in this regard;

(b) to exchange personnel and/or make use of existing liaison officers;

(c) to undertake consultation regarding planned action on each side of the border and, where relevant, also involving transit Member States;

(d) to make the operation of the transfer of criminal proceedings as flexible and efficient as practicable so that, where this procedure is available to a Member State, it can be used effectively to deal with a large number of relatively small offences.

3. The Council invites the Europol Drugs Unit to pay special attention in its annual drugs situation report to the more serious aspects of the drug tourism phenomenon, with a view to enabling the Council, following receipt of that report, to update, when appropriate, the European Union document on drug tourism and the evaluation of measures to combat this problem.