EVALUATION - COORDINATION

1. CONCEPT/ VISION/ SCOPE

Drugs use is one of the serious social problems that Romanian society faces with. In the case of many persons, especially young ones, this leads to addiction, becomes a source of suffering, diseases, poverty, social isolation, unemployment etc. This affects not only the social behaviour of the addicted persons, but also the life of the families or communities to which they belong.
Drug use induces a continuous amplification of the request on the drug market and it amplifies a proportionally direct increase of the supply of these substances. In front of this scourge with multiple social implications, some preventing actions based on a strategy of reducing the drugs supply are necessary.

2. GENERAL OBJECTIVES

• Diminishing the drug supply by 30% in the next two years;
• Diminishing the drug supply through permanent control of the drug supply;
• Controlling the illegal production and trafficking by means of co-operation between the state authorities having responsibilities in this field, as well as by means of co-operation at the international level;
• Legal and institutional compliance with Romania's commitment to the process of EU integration;
• Participating to international programs in the field;
• Diagnosing and monitoring the drug offer.

3. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Reducing risk factors;
• Counter-balancing international drug trafficking by criminal organizations specialized in drug production, transport and selling, and with structures in two or more countries;
• Intensifying the control activities at the border crossing points;
• Preventing and fighting drug distribution by final consumers - micro traffic;
• Strengthening institutional co-operation at the national and international levels;
• Diminishing the number of drug-related crimes;
• Significantly reducing money-laundering techniques;
• Diminishing drug accessibility and availability;
• Involving civil society in the fight against drugs;
• Developing and improving the co-ordination structures at the national and international levels;
• Training of the specialists in the field;
• Changing of the public opinion and forming an attitude that would lead to the operational notification of authorities by citizens, regarding persons involved in drug trafficking;
• Permanent evaluation of the carried out activities;
• Providing appropriate financial resources for the application of the drug supply reduction strategy.
• Developing and diversifying the co-operation between the Ministry of Justice and other national and international institutions which have as an objective the fight against drugs trafficking.

4. THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK WITH INCIDENCE IN THIS DOMAIN

We might say that Romanian authorities in charge with fighting against drug supply benefit from a modern, coherent and effective legislative system which allows them to approach the drug use and drug trafficking in a systemic, multi-disciplinary, and inter-departmental manner, which is synchronized with international legislation.
On the other hand, most of the incident legislation valid in Romania is already harmonized with the EC regulations regarding the fight against drug production, traffic and use; the EC effectively participates in the harmonization process, which is in its final stage, by sending prestigious specialists to assist in the elaboration process of projects for specific laws.

5. INTERNAL AND INTERNATIONAL RISK FACTORS:

• The geographical positioning of Romania at the intersection of the main routes used by drug traffickers;
• The continuous increase of the number of drug users and - implicitly - the development of the distribution networks;
• Romanian citizens' involvement in drug trafficking activities as couriers, storage agents,
• intermediaries or distributors;
• The increase of criminality in domains strictly related with illegal drug trafficking and use, including money laundering activities influencing the financial and banking spheres;
• The increase of trans-border criminality, by the direct involvement in illegal actions on the Romanian territory of criminal organizations acting in several countries;
• Diversifying the means of committing crimes, especially the use and purchase of fire weapons by hiring professional criminals;
• The existence of possibilities to produce natural and synthetic drugs in our country, as well as the illegal cultivation of plants from which drugs can be extracted;
• The implication in corruption activities of public clerks having direct responsibilities in the control activity;
• The opening in Romania of phantom-companies by citizens of some drug producing or destination countries, which cover illegal drug trafficking activities;
• The intensification of the migration phenomenon of citizens from African and Asian countries, which are well-known as drug-producing countries;
• The danger posed by the terrorist networks involved in the drug trafficking, in order to obtain funds from these illegal activities.