§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new initiatives Her Majesty's Government propose to put forward to address the problem of illegal drugs during the UK presidency of the European Union. [23117]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe United Kingdom Presidency will continue to give priority to action against drug trafficking and drugs misuse, in particular by building on the wide range of work already under-way across the three Pillars of the European Union. Our main objectives are to progress further implementation of the European Union strategy against drugs, with a focus on practical action; to begin consideration of a post-1999 European Union drugs strategy; to ensure effective European Union co-ordination for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs, being held in New York in June; and to promote effective implementation of the European Union/Caribbean and European Union/Central Asia drugs initiatives. This will include taking forward implementation of the Joint Action on the approximation of drugs laws and practices and continuing work on practical measures to tackle drug trafficking from Latin America and heroin trafficking along the Balkan route.