Evaluation of the Council Framework Decision on criminal acts and applicable penalties for drug trafficking
17 submissions from 17 organizations told the European Commission what they think about this file. Here is what each of them said, in their own words.
The Commission lists 28 submissions on this file. Shown here: the 17 from organizations. Not shown, by design: submissions from private individuals, which we never publish, and anything filed since our last weekly refresh.
Who showed up
1 submissions from industry — companies and their trade associations — against 11 from civil society: NGOs, consumer organizations, environmental groups and trade unions.
Industry 1Civil society 11Public authorities, academia, other 5
Groupings use the respondent type each organization selected when filing. Counting submissions, not organizations — a body that filed twice is counted twice.
The file, right now
The consultation closed on 14 Feb 2025 — it ran from 20 Dec 2024.
Where it stands
In planning
Adoption expected
30 Jun 2026
How it got here
Call for evidence · evaluation14 Feb 2025
Also on the Commission’s pipeline for this file, with no date recorded: Initiative planned, Swd.
The ban on cannabis does not have the desired effect of reducing consumption. In Germany, repression and police pressure on persecution have increased for decades. In the last years to 2023, this culminated in around 200.000 criminal proceedings per year, only for cannabis. At the same time, consumption has continued to grow, much stronger than in Canada in the same period since legalisation in 2018.
Filed in German · English published by the European Commission
Extracts from the contribution of the LDH (League of Human Rights). The LDH (League of Human Rights) makes four applications: — The LDH calls for an update of the Framework Decision encouraging Member States to decriminalise drug use. Furthermore, to bring legal proceedings in respect of the use of narcotic drugs, where appropriate, and to abolish the proceedings for a fine in tort or delict.
Filed in French · English published by the European Commission
Some European Union (EU) countries have taken steps to legally regulate the recreational cannabis market. Luxembourg (in 2018) and Germany (in 2021) announced their intentions to establish fully regulated markets, similar to the ones existing in Uruguay, Canada and an increasing number of States in the USA. The European Commission (EC) followed these developments closely.
The European Union's Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA aims to unify member states' responses to drug-related offenses. In contrast to the evolving international consensus, as highlighted e.g. by the UN System Common Position on Drugs (2018) or current reports of OHCHR or the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the…
The Cannabiswirtschaft e.V. (BvCW) industry association represents around 100 companies and professionals from all sectors of the cannabis industry and is committed to creating a responsible and safe market for cannabis. The BvCW welcomes the European Commission’s evaluation of Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA.
Filed in German · English published by the European Commission
The Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSFD) is an expert group of the European Commission, established in 2007 to facilitate dialogue between civil society and EU institutions on drug policy. Comprising over 40 organisations from various sectorsincluding prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and social reintegrationthe CSFD ensures that drug policies are shaped by evidence and respect for human rights.
As the Association of Providers of Addictology Services (APAS), Czech Republic, we appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the evaluation of the EUs Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA. Our organization, representing addiction services across [country/region], strongly advocates for reforms to this framework to better serve individuals and communities affected by drug-related challenges. 1.
International Drug Policy Consortium submission for the evaluation of Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) is thankful for the opportunity to comment on the Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA. 1. Move away from eradication goals The Framework Decision aims to reduce the availability of illicit drugs.
The Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA was a fundamental step in establishing a common framework to combat drug trafficking at the European level. However, technological advances and changes in drug consumption patterns have led to the emergence of new forms of crime that were not fully addressed at the time of its adoption.
The Institute for Rational Addiction Policy welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the European Unions Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA. We acknowledge the EUs efforts to harmonize responses to drug-related offenses but believe the framework requires significant modernization to align with contemporary evidence, economic rationality, and human rights principles. 1.
The EU Drugs Strategy 2021-2025 and its Action Plan set the right priorities by pursuing the fight against drug trafficking with a comprehensive approach. Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA establishes minimum provisions on drug trafficking offenses.
Correlation-European Harm Reduction Network (C-EHRN) submission for the evaluation of Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA The European Harm Reduction Network (C-EHRN) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA, contributing with the following comments and recommendations: As the landscape of drug use in Europe evolves, a variety of complex dynamics arise, including greater…
In Spanish criminal law, acts of cultivation, manufacture and trafficking of drugs are punishable, as well as the facilitation, promotion or facilitation of their consumption, providing for different types of aggravation and mitigation of the penalty, but based on an initial distinction between substances that cause serious damage to health, and those that do not cause serious damage.
The Chanakya Initiative urges the European Parliament and Council to adopt a more comprehensive approach to addressing drug trafficking in South and Southeast Asia, considering the region's critical position between the Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent.
The Fédération Addiction is the first French network of associations and professionals in laddictology in France. It contributes to the evaluation of European drugs policies by highlighting the limitations of the current law enforcement approach. The detailed opinion is available in the attached document.
Filed in French · English published by the European Commission
Excerpt (pp. 1516) from the "Policy Brief: Treaty Compliance Options for Cannabis Regulations in the European Union" redacted for the Czech Presidency of the EU's chairmanship of the Horizontal Working Party on Drugs in 2022. This policy brief summarises the feasible and viable policy options that allow EU Member States to regulate non-medical cannabis while complying with UN and EU legal frameworks. Section 2.3.2.
Hello, my name is Erik Dahlstrom. I graduated in International and European Law from the University of Groningen, where I had the opportunity to explore my passion for drug policy. My bachelor thesis, "Green Borders: Examining the Legal Implications of Cannabis Policy in the Context of Free Movement of Goods," supervised by Michelle Bruijn, was a pivotal part of my academic journey.
Method. Every quote is verbatim from the organization’s own submission to the European Commission, trimmed to its opening passage and never summarized by a model. Where a submission was filed in another EU language we show the English text the European Commission publishes alongside it, labeled on the quote; the original is one click away at the source. Groupings use the respondent type the organization itself selected when filing. We deliberately do not label anyone “supportive” or “opposed” — you read what they wrote and draw your own conclusion. Organizations only, never individuals. Reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU; the European Commission is not liable for this reuse.
