MEPs call for a coordinated EU-wide response to increasingly interconnected drug trafficking networks, with action ranging from maritime surveillance and port security to international cooperation, financial crime and prevention. During a plenary session in Strasbourg, Parliament adopted a resolution by 601 votes to four, with five abstentions, urging stronger cooperation between customs, law enforcement and judicial authorities and greater resources for frontline officers.
MEPs want Europol, Eurojust, Frontex and the European Maritime Safety Agency to step up joint operations in EU waters and improve real-time intelligence-sharing with the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics, a joint initiative involving eight EU member states and the UK. The resolution also calls for stronger cooperation with West African countries to tackle trafficking and transit routes, as well as collaboration with China to address drug precursor chemicals. Port security is another priority, with MEPs calling for stronger maritime surveillance, risk-based vessel tracking and inspections, alongside training and protection for port workers facing intimidation by criminal networks. The resolution also targets the financial proceeds of drug trafficking, calling for stronger anti-money laundering measures and improved tools to identify, freeze and seize criminal assets.
MEPs have also stressed that enforcement should be complemented by prevention, treatment, harm reduction and efforts to reduce demand. They also called for the experiences of victims, affected communities, children and vulnerable young people to inform EU drug policies, while highlighting the particular exposure of the EU’s outermost regions to trafficking.
