Assessment of the implementation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2005-2012 and its Action Plans.

Illicit drug use continues to be an important public health and safety concern in Europe. Production, trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs constitute important criminal justice challenges in themselves, and are associated with other criminal activities. The 2005-2012 EU Drugs Strategy (as with previous strategies) was developed to complement and add value to national strategies and approaches while respecting the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality set out in the EU Treaties. The main rationale for its development was that while drugs problems vary across Member States, and are experienced at the local and national level, they are "a global issue that needs to be addressed in a transnational context." RAND Europe undertook an independent evaluation of the current Strategy and its Action Plans, addressing four research objectives: (1) to assess barriers and facilitators to the implementation of objectives and priorities at EU and Member State level, (2) to assess the relevance and influence of the Strategy with respect to national drugs policy and legislation, (3) to assess possible impact on the drugs situation in the EU, and (4) to identify key aspects and recommendations for future EU Drugs Strategies.