Finnish EU presidency will seek closer cooperation on drugs
A main theme Finland intends to pursue during its stint in the EU presidency, in the second half of 2006, is to intensify cooperation with the Union’s eastern neighbours - Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova.
This will focus especially on drug prevention, tighter border policing to stop drug trafficking and cooperation between police and social and health authorities on drug problems.
A specific goal during the presidency will be to get acceptance of the EU Council’s resolution on police and social and healthcare collaboration on the treatment of drug users.
Durig the Finnish presidency an ‘expert conference’ will be held in Turku on disease prevention in intravenous drug use.
Towards the end of the year the EU Commission will also hold a conference on drugs for non-governmental organisations. The basis for the conference will be the Green Paper handled in the EU’s Horizontal Drugs Group during the Finnish presidency.