The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Union Drugs Agency.
The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:
As a reminder, the proposal seeks to replace and succeed the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction by transforming it into the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). This new Agency should react effectively to new challenges, provide better support to Member States, and contribute to developments at the international level. The new Agency’s reinforced mandate should cover drug markets and drug supply issues which are necessary to understand the impacts of the drug phenomenon on public health, reduce the availability of drugs in the Union and curb drug demand.
Monitoring of the drug phenomenon and sharing of best practices
The report stressed that the Agency should monitor, inter alia, the following areas:
- the drugs phenomenon in the Union holistically, through epidemiological and other indicators, covering the public health, social and human rights, social reintegration, safety and security aspects;
- evidence-based best practices and innovative approaches to respond to the public health, social and human rights, safety and security aspects of the drugs phenomenon in the participating countries;
- emerging trends in the Union and internationally with respect to drug use, drug use disorders, drug addictions and related health risks and harm in so far as they impact the participating countries;
- poly-substance use and its consequences, in particular the increased risks of health and social problems, the social determinants of drug use, drug use disorders and drug addictions, and the implications for policies and responses;
- drug and poly-substance use and its consequences from an age and gender perspective, in particular its impact on gender-based violence.
Health and security threat assessment and preparedness
The Agency should develop a strategic evidence-based health and security threat assessment capability to identify at an early-stage new developments of the drugs phenomenon that have a potential to impact negatively on public health, social matters, safety and security in the EU and, through doing so, to help increase the preparedness of the relevant stakeholders to respond to new threats in a timely and effective manner.
Administrative and management structure
In the interests of transparency, Members called on the members of the Agency’s administrative and management structure to avoid having any financial or other interests that could affect their impartiality. They should act in the public interest and carry out their activities in an independent, impartial and transparent manner, and make an annual declaration of their financial interests. All indirect interests which could affect their impartiality, including in the pharmaceutical industry, should be entered in a register that is held by the Agency and is accessible to the public upon request.
National focal points
The national focal points’ tasks have been extended. They should monitor, analyse and interpret relevant information in the relevant fields and should provide information on the policies and solutions adopted. They should consider the gender-sensitive aspects of drugs policy when collecting and presenting data.
Budget
The committee called for the Agency's budget to be balanced in terms of revenue and of expenditure. The Agency should be awarded an adequate budget to ensure sufficient staff and equipment in order to allow it to achieve the objectives and tasks set out in this Regulation. The Agency's revenue should also comprise Union funding under indirect management or in the form of ad hoc grants.
The amount and origin of any revenue should be included in the annual accounts of the Agency and clearly detailed in the annual report on the Agency's budgetary and financial management.
Fees
At the proposal of the Executive Director, the Management Board of the Agency should set the amount of the fees and the way in which they are paid in a transparent manner and after having consulted the Commission. Those fees shall cover only the human and financial costs associated with the provision of certain training programmes and the certification of national bodies set up in third countries, in particular candidate countries.
Members proposed for an annual external audit to be undertaken with regard to the fees collected by the Agency. The Agency should transmit the results of such audits to the European Parliament without delay.
Cooperation with civil society organisations
The report called for increased comprehensive involvement with civil society. Structured cooperation should be maintained with both relevant non-governmental and civil society organisations. The Agency should appoint a person within the Agency responsible for managing that cooperation, under the authority of the Executive Director. The names and the declared conflict of interests of stakeholders involved in its work on its website should be published according to Members.