PRESS RELEASE PUBLIC HEARING 23 FEBRUARY 2010

EUROPE KNOWS THAT DRUG PROHIBITION IS A FAILURE – NOW IT SHOULD ACT
UPON THAT KNOWLEDGE

On 23 February 2010, a Public Hearing will take place in the European Parliament on
the issue of Drug Policy in the European Union. Upon the invitation of Greek MEP
Michail Tremopoulos and ENCOD (European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug
Policies), approximately 40 representatives of European civil society organisations
from 15 different countries will come together to formulate their recommendations to
Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European
Council on the future approach that the European Union should take regarding
criminalised drugs.

The hearing is held two weeks before the annual meeting of the United Nations
Committee on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna. According to the organisers of the hearing,
the EU representatives should use the opportunity of the CND meeting to start a
serious debate on alternative ways to regulate the drugs market that are not based
on prohibition.

The main issue on the agenda of the public hearing will be the “Report on Global
Illicit Drugs Markets 1998 – 2007” that was financed by the European Commission in
2008. The study was carried out by a team of respected drug researchers chaired by
Prof. Peter Reuter of Rand Corporation, USA and Mr. Franz Trautmann of the
Trimbos Institute, Netherlands. It came about after many years in which ENCOD and
other civil society organisations had called for an independent evaluation of the
impact of worldwide drug prohibition.

The report was published on 10 March 2009. Its conclusions proved the rationale of
drug prohibition – as a tool to reduce production, distribution and consumption of
“controlled” drugs – to be false. According to the report, control efforts have minimal
effects on the global illegal drugs market, the annual value of which is estimated at
300 billion US dollars. At the same time prohibition is a major cause of the increase in
violence, corruption, environmental and health damage. These problems are
responsible for the death, disease and serious deterioration of life standards of
millions of people, consumers, their surroundings and society at large.

In short, the conclusion of the report is that drug policy based on prohibition has
done enormous harm and little, if any, good. Prohibition is unjust, ineffective and
inhumane. The European Union should be congratulated for having provided the
research to establish this conclusion. It should now act upon this knowledge.
Ignoring it would be equal to criminal negligence.

Therefore the Public Hearing will call upon European Union institutions to discuss
alternative ways to control drugs. Drug policy can be humane, just and effective.

WHEN: 23 February 2010, from 10.00 to 16.00

WHERE: European Parliament, Brussels, Room A1E-3

PROGRAMME OF THE HEARING

10.00 - 12.00: Presentation of the Reuter-Trautmann report

Introductory speeches by Mr. Michail Tremopoulos, MEP GREENS/EFA, Mr. Carel
Edwards, head of the Drugs Coordination Unit of the European Commission and Mr.
Joep Oomen, ENCOD, followed by debate with the floor.


13.00 - 16.00: Roundtable with Members of European Parliament

Chairs: Marisa Felicissimo and Pedro Quesada

Introductory speech: Mr. Frederick Polak, ENCOD

All participants are invited to give their feedback on the conclusions of the Reuter -
Trautmann report and present their own input to the discussion on European drug
policy. To this roundtable, various Members of European Parliament of the Committee
on Civil Liberties will be invited to participate.

16.30 - 17.00: Press conference, presentation of the results of the hearing.

Press Briefing Room Anna Politkovskaya PHS 0 A 50


More information:
http://www.encod.org/info/ENCOD-PROPOSES-NEW-SESSION-OF-THE.html

Michalis Theodoropoulos (assistant to MEP Michail Tremopoulos)
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (tel 02 - 2847402, 02 - 2875402)

Joep Oomen (ENCOD): This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (tel 0495 122 644)



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EUROPEAN COALITION FOR JUST AND EFFECTIVE DRUG POLICIES

Lange Lozanastraat 14 – 2018 Antwerpen - Belgium

Tel. + 32 (0)3 293 0886 / Mob. + 32 (0)495 122644

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / www.encod.org


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