Information needs for effective drug policy in the programme of the CZ PRES

Information needs for effective drug policy

in the programme of the CZ PRES

Identifying Europe’s information needs for effective drug policy Lisbon / 6-8 May 2009

As large knowledge, as large the pain

Old Testament; Book of Kohelet

The truth will make you free

St Augustin; Martin Heidegger; Sigmund Freud

Start of the implementation of EU AP

AP 2009-2012 approved by the EU Council - 8.12.2008 Implementation of activities with due time in 2009 already started

No. 5. - convene meetings of the national drugs coordinators - 29. April in Prague

No. 19. - develop an EU consensus on minimum quality standards and benchmarks for prevention, treatment, harm reduction and rehabilitation

No. 20. - develop, as appropriate, services for minorities, including, for example, migrants

No. 56. - coordination between the HDG and MS delegations to the CND,

No. 57. - prepare and adopt EU common positions and joint resolutions in the CND

No. 58. - present an EU position in the high-level segment of the 52nd CND

No. 67. - develop key-indicators for the collection of policy-relevant data on supply reduction


CZ PRES PRIORITIES

Present common EU position in the events organized by OSN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

Activities: No. 56. To ensure better coordination and continuity between the HDG and MS

delegations to the CND, including through the appropriate burden-sharing among MS on the initiative of the Presidency

No. 57. To present an EU position in the high-level segment of the 52nd CND on the evaluation of and follow-up to UNGASS '98, reflecting the fundamental principles of EU drugs policy


CZ PRES PRIORITIES

Data collection and analysis – one of priorities of the EU drug policy at the 52nd session of CND

To base policy measures on the best available evidence and information - without high-quality data it is not possible to understand properly what the situation is, and without that we have no chance to make successful, appropriate, evidence-based decisions

principles included into the Political Declaration and the Plan of Action; however the Political Declaration is rather modest when data collection and evaluation is concerned.

resolution adopted on establishing the working group for better data collection and analysis; however its efficiency is in doubt


Migration, Integration and Drugs

Production, Trafficking and Use of Methamphetamine

Efficient Coordination in Relations with Third Parties

Evaluation of Supply Reduction Interventions


Specific - CZ PRES PRIORITIES

The EU is committed to an evidence-based approach - focuses on a continuous analysis of a problem and objective assessment of the policy as a response to it.

The EU / EMCDDA has succeeded in developing key indicators on the demand side

Supply reduction indicators is highly underdeveloped area compared to demand reduction ones (= one of the weak points of the evaluation of EU AP)

“(..) The (EU) Drug Strategy's objective of making it easier to measure supply reduction and law enforcement output more effectively, is complicated by a lack of availability of standardized key indicators in this area. (..)” (Final Evaluation of AP 2005-2008)


The rationale behind developing supply reduction indicators

Evaluation culture in supply reduction is much lower than in demand reduction

yet we spend most drug policy resources on supply reduction

As a consequence, aims and goals in supply reduction are usually looser and mostly performance oriented, not evaluating impacts

it is also a long term interest of the (CZ) National Drug Commission, NFP, Police, and in the management and political representation of CZ Ministry of Interior



Objective 23. Further develop instruments to monitor the drug situation and the effectiveness of responses to it:

Action 67 – To develop key indicators for the collection of policy-relevant data on drug-related crime, illegal cultivation, drug markets and supply reduction and to develop a strategy to collect them

Action 68 – To develop analytical instruments to better assess the effectiveness and impact of drug policy (e.g. model evaluation tools, policy effectiveness indices, public expenditure analysis, etc.)



CZ established a working group with the aim to develop supply reduction indicators

Outcomes of the working group presented at HDG meeting in March

CZ PRES prepared a „Council Conclusions“ discussed at the HDG in April and agreed in May

Outcomes of pilot data collection for defined supply reduction indicators in CZ will be presented at HDG in June.


Developing supply reduction indicators

the cornerstone of the EU drugs policy is to base policy on the best available evidence and information - in order to make successful, appropriate, evidence-based decisions

it is a necessity to have high-quality, comparable data both on the demand as on the supply reduction side

EMCDDA has significantly contributed to the implementation and development of monitoring and policies at the national level in MS therefore,

in this process the EMCDDA plays consolidated role as a leader for drug statistic and in developing data collection systems both on the demand as well as on the supply side

Conclusions


Does a drug policy, even based on the best available evidence and information, have an impact on drug situation?

Is there evidenced that evidence based approach is effective?

After conclusions


Thank you for your attention.

Please be friends of the Czech Presidency!

Please be friends of EMCDDA!

Kamil [email protected]

Documents

Information needs for effective drug policy in the programme of the CZ PRES