The Council of Ministers agreed on a proposal for a Regulation to strengthen controls on the import of the chemicals that are used to manufacture illicit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, in particular ecstasy, so-called drug precursors.
The existing legislation in this area, Regulation 3677/90, which the proposed Regulation would replace, must be modernised because in recent years the Community has become one of the world’s leading ecstasy manufacturers and exporters, using imported drug precursors.
These chemicals are generally not available in the Community and hence have to be imported. However, at present there are no Community-wide control measures applicable to their import.
The Regulation would, in particular:
introduce import authorisation requirements for listed drug precursors
require all importers to document and label the drug precursors
require all importers to be licensed
ensure that all consignments of drug precursors would be monitored within the Community
strengthen controls at export
apply particular Community-wide controls in areas where there are increased risks of diversion, such as transhipment and free zones.
Procedures and requirements would be targeted on the most sensitive drug precursors, so as to reduce excessive administrative burdens for legitimate importers.
This proposal complements the Regulation on intra-Community monitoring of drug precursors which the Council adopted in February 2004.
With the adoption of the present text, the Community will fulfil its obligations under the United Nations Convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, adopted in Vienna in 1988.
More information on drug precursors.
