The first European Conference on Drug-Related Violence drew to a close today, culminating in a powerful Call to action delivered by EUDA Executive Director Alexis Goosdeel. Over two days, leading experts and policymakers engaged in dynamic discussions, addressing the multifaceted challenges of this phenomenon. The issues explored ranged from public safety and health implications, to responses and innovative strategies and interventions. The focus of the event was how to break the cycle of drug-related violence and build a better future.
The conference's closing session featured compelling remarks from European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and Belgian Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden, underscoring the urgent need for collective action and cross-sector collaboration.
Call to action: European Conference on Drug-Related Violence
The European Union is at a critical juncture in addressing the escalating threat posed by drug-related violence. This first European Conference on Drug-Related Violence, organised by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) in collaboration with the European Commission, has brought together diverse voices from policy, practice, research and civil society — providing a cross-sectoral perspective of how drug-related violence affects people’s lives, businesses and economies and requires a unified and coordinated EU approach to respond to it.
This call to action draws on the issues raised at this event to encourage and support efforts to enhance safety and security across all sectors of society with measures to anticipate, alert, respond and learn from the growing complexities of drug-related violence.
Anticipate
The evolving dynamics of drug-related violence require that we stay ahead of emerging threats, including the growing infiltration of organised crime into our society and economy through violence and intimidation. Prevention must remain a primary focus, guided by the EU Drugs Strategy 2021–2025 and the EU Roadmap to fight drug trafficking and organised crime. As recent examples across the EU have shown, targeted prevention mechanisms should focus on young people and other at-risk groups, including prevention of their recruitment into organised crime. Key stakeholders must also work to strengthen early detection mechanisms to anticipate patterns of drug-related violence, address its root causes and develop social resilience.
There is a need to enhance engagement with local communities and at city-level, where the negative consequences of drug-related violence are often first and most acutely experienced. Structured forums for engaging with these stakeholders, including communities of practice, should be strengthened or created, if needed, to anticipate developments and inform policy and practice.
While the effects of drug-related violence are profoundly felt at the local level, there is growing internationalisation of this issue, as it often involves transnational criminal networks. Strengthening international cooperation will be key to detect changes in drug trafficking and drug markets and anticipate the potential for increased violence. A cornerstone of such cooperation is timely and robust data- and information-sharing practices.
We call on all EU Member States to make more systematic efforts to collect comparable data, which are critical for policy formulation, research and analysis. It is essential to develop reliable and sensitive indicators to predict and prevent drug-related violence. Addressing the methodological and technical challenges of data collection will require adequate resources and the use of novel tools, including drawing on Artificial Intelligence for data collection and processing. Further investment to support innovation and technology and engagement with industry are needed to ensure that we have the tools needed to better anticipate and monitor the indicators of drug-related violence across Europe.
Alert
Timely and accurate reporting of information is key to preventing the escalation of drug-related violence and to better respond to it. As drug-related violence grows in severity and complexity, we must ensure that those on the front lines — communities, health services, law enforcement and customs — work together and are well-informed and well-prepared. A cornerstone of increasing security resilience and preparedness is the strengthening of data sharing across Europe. The role of local communities, city-level representatives and civil society should be championed in this respect.
We urge Member States and other stakeholders to raise the awareness of the general public about the security risks caused by drug-related violence. To do so, the European Drug Alert System will be fully implemented and leveraged to signal changes in drug markets. Continued investment into innovation and technology is needed to ensure that these platforms for sharing information remain fit for purpose.
Respond
Responses already exist and have been discussed during the European Conference on Drug-Related Violence. Effective responses should apply coordinated multisectoral approaches, bringing together all relevant stakeholders to develop and implement interventions that balance community safety and public health needs through a unified, coordinated approach. Enhanced investment in responses targeting young people and other at-risk groups is key to prevent recruitment into organised crime including online recruitment to perpetrate criminal activities such as drug trafficking.
Public-private partnerships must be strengthened, or established where they are absent, to enhance resilience and mitigate risks of violence and intimidation in key hotspots, such as in Europe’s ports. Existing mechanisms and partnerships should be leveraged for this purpose, including the European Ports Alliance.
We encourage all stakeholders to engage in cross-sector collaboration, ensure the swift mobilisation of resources and adopt best practices for managing crises caused by drug-related violence. Investment in developing and sustaining social resilience more broadly is also urgently needed. By investing in community-based initiatives and strengthening protective environments, we can break the cycle of violence together.
Learn
Learning from each other is critical if we are to make an impact on drug-related violence. The European Conference on Drug-Related Violence has provided a platform for sharing innovative strategies, research and best practices that are already making a difference across the EU. Regular forums, such as this, are needed to continue exchanging lessons learned among stakeholders, including local communities, city-level decision makers and civil society networks in Europe and beyond.
Mechanisms to monitor and evaluate responses need to be strengthened, to ensure they achieve their intended goals. By strengthening efforts in this area, we can take preventive and corrective actions where needed, while learning from experience and ensuring accountability towards stakeholders.
By fostering a culture of learning and competence development, we can enhance Europe’s preparedness and resilience in the face of future drug-related challenges.
Conclusion
The time to act is now. Addressing drug-related violence requires comprehensive, collaborative and forward-thinking action. We call on all EU Member States, policymakers, law enforcement, health, justice and social sectors, local communities and civil society organisations to join in this mission and take bold, unified and coordinated steps towards a safer and more secure Europe.
