Patrick PenninckxExecutive Secretary

patrick.penninckx@coe.int – www.coe.int/PompidouPower Point Pompidou Group – revised November 2012

The Pompidou Group:Its role, structure and

activities

The European Framework

DG III – Social CohesionPompidou GroupSet up in 1971 Incorporated into CoE in 1980

• Ministerial conference (4 years)• Four-Year Work Programme

Council of Europe European Union

European CommissionDG - Justice, Freedom and security

• EU Drugs Strategy 2005-2012

• Action Plan 2005-2008• Action Plan 2009-2012

EMCDDA

Set up in 1993

Based in Lisbon

Role = provide the EU and its Member States with an overview of European drug problems

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Recent Meetings:15th Ministerial Conference: 3-4 November, 2010

68th Meeting of the Permanent Correspondents:30-31 March, 2011

MoU between Pompidou Group and EMCDDA, November 2010

(Co-operation Group to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Drugs)

• is an intergovernmental body formed in 1971 at the suggestion of the French President Georges Pompidou.

• Began as an informal co-operation forum of 7 European countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom) looking to share their experience with combating drug abuse and drug trafficking.

• Incorporated into the Council of Europe in 1980.

• Co-operation was subsequently extended to include many new countries; at present, the Pompidou Group comprises 35 member states.

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The Pompidou Group

• core mission: contribute to the development of multidisciplinary, innovative, effective and “evidence-based” drug policies in 35 member states.

• seeks to link policy, practice and science.

• provides a multidisciplinary forum at the wider European level where it is possible for policy-makers, professionals and researchers to discuss and exchange information and ideas on the whole range of drug misuse and trafficking problems.

• plays a bridging role between EU countries and non-EU countries (Life skills programme in Ukraine) as well as countries from the Mediterranean Region (MedNet.)

• cooperates with other Council of Europe initiatives, placing special emphasis on ethical issues and respect of human rights.

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The Role of the Pompidou Group

Practice

Science

Policy

• Secretariat based in Strasbourg

• Ministerial Conference (held every 4 years) -> adopts work programme

• Permanent Correspondents = representatives of the 35 member states; senior officials in ministries in charge of drug issues (held biannually)

• Currently, the Pompidou Group carries out activities in the following areas:

• Prevention

• Treatment

• Drug Supply Reduction

• Research

• Ethics & Professional Standards

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• MedNET

• EXASS Net

• Cooperation and Assistance Activities

The Pompidou Group’s Structure

Aim: Look for innovative and evidence-based practices, define quality standards, and evaluate programs for long-term effectiveness.

• Life-skills training (teens building resilience to negative influences)

• Prevention of Drug Use in the Workplace• Prevention of Drug Use in Recreational Settings • Consultative Youth Forum on Drugs Prevention

• 2004-Polydrug use, 2006-families and youth, (2012- risky youth behaviour)

• Drug Prevention Support Network • Conference on drug policy evaluation tools, Prague, May 2010• The European Drug Prevention Prize (every two years)

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Prevention

• Created in 2004 to recognise the importance of active youth participation in the development of drug prevention projects

• Has since awarded 14 projects with European Drug Prevention Prize

• Registered almost 300 applications

• Awarded every 2 years -> 2004-2012

• 3 drug prevention projects led by youth for youth are rewarded for their work

• Monetary benefit: 5000 €, trophy and diploma

The European Drug Prevention Prize

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Prize 2004 Prize 2006 Prize 2008 Prize 2010 Prize 2012

44 applications 31 applications 34 applications 80 applications 83 applications

18countries

18countries

15countries

26countries

24countries

SloveniaSwitzerland

United-Kingdom

IrelandNorway

BulgariaGreece

Netherlands

BelgiumSpain

United-Kingdom

GermanyLebanon

Spain

• In 2004 and 2006: prize was awarded during the Pompidou Group’s European Drug Prevention Forum

• The First Forum took place in Yekaterinburg. 100 participants gathered to discuss the issue of “Poly-drug use: mixing different drugs- new trends in youth culture”

• Second Forum was organised in Vilnius and focused on “The involvement of families and young people in drug prevention”

The European Drug Prevention Prize

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In 2010, the jury and the Pompidou Group agreed to open the European Drug Prevention Prize to all 47 Council of Europe member countries

In 2012, participation was extended further to the Southern and Eastern rim of the Pompidou Group’s Mediterranean Network (MedNET)

…Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia

Treatment

Aim: Improve treatment for specific groups by adapting to new trends and assessing the results of different approaches to treatment.

• Provided an overview of the treatment systems in 28 countries• Treatment Systems Overview in South-Eastern Europe (March, 2011)• Treatment Systems Overview in Europe (October, 2010)

• Adopted a series of recommendations and orientations to improve practices in the treatment of young (up to 25 years) drug users.

• Conferences:– May 2010 Conference on Stimulant Use– May 2009 Guideline development conference focused on bridging the gap

between clinical practice and evidence-based practice

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Evidence-basedPractice

ClinicalPractice

Aim: Assessing the impact of research on policy and supporting the use of research evidence in policy and practice.

• From 2011-2014, research will now address the following questions: – “what are the best structures to reach coherent drug policies? ” – “what models could be used to test a coherent policy’s effectiveness?”• Ad Hoc expert group on road traffic safety and substitution treatment (2011-2012)• ESSD Summer School- Intensive Course on Qualitative Drug Research for young researchers

Previous Activities include:• Creation of the Register on Drug Research in 2007• Signaling the latest issues that arise from drug research and promoting

interaction between research disciplines (publications)• Developing coherent drug policies• Co-operation with ESPAD and ESSD• Organized MedSPAD surveys in Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan and Egypt.

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Research

Ethical issues and professional standards

Aim: Undertake reflections and devise opinions on ethical and professional issues in the following drug and drug abuse-related areas:

• Drug Testing– Weighed in on drug screening at school, in the workplace, and on recruitment, the role

of insurance companies in the practice of drug testing,– Published the whole report of findings in September 2008, along with a survey of the

situation in European schools and legislatures.• “Vaccines" against drugs

– Conclusion: As to preventive treatment, it should not be considered under any circumstances, and if “vaccines” were put on the market, very strict application frameworks would have to be set up to avert the risk of misuses.

Also: • Organized a round table in 2008 on the theme: “Research and

its implications for methods of dealing with drug addiction: the ethical challenges”• Publication on drug addiction in the “Ethical Eye”: “Drug Addiction” (2005)

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Airports: (comprises customs and law enforcement officers from 35 countries)

Aim: Harmonise tools and systems to improve drug detection in European airports, and enhance subject-related inter-airport cooperation.

• Annual reviews of the development of drug seizures at airports• Development of an Airport Crime Risk Register• Promote the undertaking of multilateral drug seizure operational activities• Regular updates of contacts, crime figures, and the Passenger Control Handbook

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Drug Supply Reduction

Criminal Issues

Explore linksBetween crime and

Drug-use(recidivism)

Drug Treatment inMoldovan Prisons

Working group onthe elaboration of

guidelines aimed at Reducing drug

Supply world-wide

Aim: Co-operation among specialised services (justice, health and care services, social services) to find alternative measures to imprisonment

•Objective: developing political guidelines that will strengthen international cooperation, with the end goal of a harmonised international control strategy

Precursors:Aim: The prevention of licit and illicit drug precursors’ diversion

towards the manufacture of illegal psychoactive substances. Conferences:– 13-14 October, 2011: planned conference on new threats arising in the field of precursor

diversion. (Closing the gaps in the judicial chain from the identification of suspect assignments and backtracking to prosecution and sanction).

– 30 September - 1 October 2010: Conference on the prevention of drug precursors' diversion - perspectives for national and international cooperation.

– March 2009: backtracking investigation, evidence collection, sanction and prevention of drug precursors diversion.” The target audience of the conference included magistrates, prosecutors and judges, but also representatives from the chemical industry and law enforcement.

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Drug Supply Reduction

• Set up in 2006

• Aim: To improve the quality of drug policy implementation in all participating countries, with greater awareness of the cultural factors influencing intervention policies.

• 13 Member countries =Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia

MedNET

• Target groups: : Policy-makers, medical doctors, social workers, NGO representatives, public associations, researchers, and administrative managers.

• Geared towards promoting interaction between professionals working on the ground on the political, practical and scientific aspects of drug policy implementation.

• Added Value of the Network: MedSPAD- adaptation of European survey methodology and tools to the southern Mediterranean cultural context.

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• Set up in 2007 as a European network between stakeholders at the frontline level. It has since met 6 times, and works at the urban, regional and national levels

• Aim: Connecting European professionals and PCs that can provide insights into policy implementation on topics that are of immediate concern to governments.

• Addresses topics specific to Permanent Correspondent member cities. Upcoming meetings include:

• Berlin, May, 2011- Legal and Illegal Immigrants

• October, 2011- How Services Deal with Poly-Drug Use

EXASS NET

• Member countries: Germany, Croatia, Russian Federation, Finland, Hungary, Moldova, Norway, Netherland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Ukraine, United-Kingdom

• Member cities: Amsterdam, Budapest, Cracow, Frankfurt, Koper, Oslo, Preston, Turku, Viseu, Zagreb, Zaporozhye

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Cooperation ActivitiesCooperation with non-member statesAim: Provide or exchange technical assistance for the development of drug and drug abuse related policies in non-member states, paid for through voluntary contributions. Mediterranean: MedNET•Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan-

• Voluntary contributions from member countries for MedNET programs.•In 2010, this program received 255 000,00 €.•In 2011, it will receive 415 187,00 €.

•Capacity building and two-way information exchange through awareness campaigns, national surveys, training seminars, and study visits.

Eastern and South Eastern Europe:•Ukraine-Capacity Building, Lifeskills Training•Moldova- Drug Harm Reduction and Treatment in Prisons•Armenia-Reform of the Justice sector through trainings• Romania-Drug Harm Reduction and Treatment in Prisons •Moldova and Transnistria- Rapid Assessment of Drugs Use in Prisons

Cooperation Activities

UNODCRegionalOffices

INCB WHO-HIPP

EMCDDA

EuropeanUnion

Pompidou Group

Namely in the North African and Middle East regions. Participation in the commission on narcotic drugs (CND).

Cooperation on backtracking precursor diversion.

Joined Steering Group on Health in Prisons Programme to contribute to the drugs in prisons program

signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which will be elaborated in 2011

In-depth study of the possibilities for the co-financing of activities in the Mediterranean Region between the European Commission and the Council of Europe.

Aim: Actively seeks cooperation with other European and International Organisations to avoid overlaps and to increase synergies.

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Cooperation Activities

Cooperation activities with the civil society sector:

Activities of the Pompidou Group with the following organizations: •ESPAD & MEDSPAD- conduct surveys and collect data on drug use in schools.

•ESSD-co-created summer schools, as well as a book on developments in social drug research

•European Playwork Association-facilitates the European Drug Prevention Prizes•Mentor Foundation-Collaborates on school-based prevention projects.•Skoun Addictions Centre- “Filling the Gap” project•MENAHRA-cooperation on harm reduction through MedNET•NGO “Innovative Projects in Prisons- cooperation on harm reduction in Moldovan prisons•Syracuse University- collaboration on Trans-Atlantic Executive Training

For further information, please visit our website

http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/pompidou/default_en.asp

Or contact our Secretariat directly

Pompidou GroupCouncil of Europe

F - 67075 Strasbourg - CEDEX

pompidou.group@coe.int

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Thank you for your attention!

patrick.penninckx@coe.int – www.coe.int/Pompidou

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