Leading experts from around the world are gathering in Lisbon today for the annual meeting of the EUDA Reference Group on Drug Markets and Crime (1). The purpose of the two-day meeting is to share policy updates and foster collaboration on a range of new initiatives addressing key dimensions of the drug market.
Established in 2013, the Reference Group brings together national and international experts to exchange knowledge and provide strategic insights into Europe’s evolving drug market. Working closely with the Reitox national focal points, the group strengthens data sharing and improves access to national-level information on drug trends and their wider impacts. It also provides critical feedback on the EUDA’s analyses, helping to identify emerging information gaps and guide future priorities in the area of drug-related security.
EUDA Executive Director, Alexis Goosdeel, will open the meeting with an address entitled Building the EUDA of the future. EUDA experts will present developments in the areas of drug production and precursors, under the agency’s expanded mandate, while the European Commission will provide an update on current EU drug policy initiatives.
The rich programme features four thematic sessions:
Drug-related violence and homicide: This session will explore how drug-related homicide is defined and measured and what current data reveal about violence linked to drug markets. It will include insights into cocaine-related violence in northern Europe and policy-relevant lessons from Latin America. Dr Laura Atuesta (EAFIT Medellín, CO) will provide a global perspective on high-quality data production and policy implications, while Dr Marieke Liem (Leiden University, NL) and Dr Kim Möller (Malmö University, SE) will share insights from their EUDA-supported project to better monitor and analyse drug-related homicide and violence in the EU. The discussions will help build a clearer picture of this topic of European and global dimensions and support more targeted, evidence-based responses.
External dimensions of drug markets: How global dynamics shape Europe’s drug landscape will be the focus of the next session. Dr David Mansfield, one of the world’s foremost experts on Afghanistan, will share findings from his EUDA-supported monitoring project. Drawing on several research methods, including satellite imagery, his research shows how Afghanistan — Europe’s main heroin supplier — is adapting to ongoing efforts to prohibit crystal methamphetamine production. Work in this area is vital for enhancing Europe’s preparedness in responding to the evolving threats posed by international drug markets.
Environmental aspects of drug markets: From the high water and energy demands of illicit indoor cannabis cultivation to coca-related deforestation and the dumping of toxic chemical waste, this session will highlight the urgent need to document environmental damage pathways related to drug production, transport and use. In turn, this will lead to evidence-based strategies to mitigate related harms. Dr Thomas ter Laak (KWR Water Research Institute, NL) will present an EUDA-supported project to develop a conceptual framework for monitoring the environmental impact of drug production.
Recruitment of young people into European drug markets: Focusing on prevention, this session features Dr Helen Fitzgerald and Dr Eoin O’Meara Daly (University of Limerick, IE) who will present on the EUDA-supported Safe Futures project. This initiative focuses on identifying effective ways to prevent youth involvement in European drug markets and responds to growing public and policy concern about the increasing recruitment and exploitation of young people by criminal drug networks. Dr Annemarie Brockmöller, Web IQ (NL) will give a practical demonstration of how online drug market-related activities can be monitored across social media channels.
Through its annual meetings, ad hoc data collection and ongoing collaboration, the Reference Group plays a vital role in strengthening the EU’s capacity to monitor and respond to developments along the drug supply chain. Its work directly supports the EUDA’s mission to anticipate and address drug-related threats and enhance security by improving EU preparedness on drugs.
