Reducing drug supply
Organised crime groups make spectacular profits on illicit drug trafficking. The EU illicit drugs market generates an estimated income for criminals of up to €70 billion every year. The EU is taking determined steps to clamp down on the production and trafficking of drugs.
EU countries work ever closer together, with the support of the Commission and of Europol, to disrupt drug trafficking.
Law enforcement agencies across the EU cooperate in the fight against drug production and trafficking. They carry out joint investigations, joint customs operations and take part in international operations to prevent the diversion of chemical substances used to manufacture drugs (known as drugs precursors).
Europol plays an important role by providing analytical and operational assistance to national law enforcement agencies.
To make sure that there is no safe haven for drug traffickers in the EU, the EU countries have developed a common approach to drug trafficking offences. The Framework Decision on drug trafficking 
[47 KB] provides an EU definition of drug trafficking offences and establishes minimum rules on sanctions.
In recent years, EU countries have launched several joint initiatives to address cocaine trafficking. These include the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre - Narcotics (MAOC-N) and the Centre de coordination pour la lutte anti-drogue en Méditerranée (CeCLAD - M), which coordinate anti-drugs operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
EU Pact on Drugs
The
European Pact on Drugs [124 KB] , adopted by EU governments in June 2010, seeks to build synergies between the various structures combating the smuggling of cocaine and heroin to the EU along the major trafficking routes, in particular:
- the cocaine route - from Latin America via the Caribbean and West Africa;
- the heroin route - from Afghanistan via Central Asia, Russia, Turkey and the Western Balkans.
The Pact addresses drug smuggling along the entire trafficking route, from producing countries to consuming markets, in the EU. Three project groups carry out work on cocaine, heroin and on countering the proceeds of drug trafficking. Similar pacts may be adopted to tackle synthetic drugs and cannabis in the future.
EU competences
The EU competence in the area of drug supply reduction includes:
- the control of trade in drug precursors;
- the prevention of money laundering [302 KB] .
The Commission has signed bilateral agreements on drugs precursors with certain countries, to prevent the diversion of chemicals for use in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs.