"An effective fight against the problem of drugs requires strategies based on facts and able to be redefined to reflect new situations; this is not an ideological issue or a political dogma, it is about choosing forms of action that truly work". Jacques Barrot, deputy president of the EU Commission, speaks at today’s Day against drugs abuse and trade. On the occasion, "a survey of the work carried out against drugs all over the world" has been started. It is a survey, also supported by the UN, to understand the dynamics of the phenomenon and what measures have been taken to fight it all over the world. The EU takes part in it as a "global player", not least as part of a EU-wide strategy for the period 2005-2012, with a "well-balanced approach that combines prevention and treatment on one side, and the repression of drugs trade on the other". "Keeping in mind that the worldwide problem of drugs is a responsibility shared by all countries insists Barrot -, the European Union intends to take action on a global scale to fight the abuse and illegal trade of drugs".
