The Pompidou Group is an intergovernmental organization within the Council of Europe that was established in 1971 to address drug abuse and trafficking. It currently has 35 member states. The Group aims to link drug policy, practice, and science. It conducts activities related to prevention, treatment, research, ethics, and reducing drug supply. The Group also has networks focused on the Mediterranean region and Eastern Europe to promote cooperation and capacity building. It works closely with other international organizations to increase synergies and avoid overlaps in addressing drug issues.

1. The Pompidou Group:
Its role, structure and
activities
Patrick Penninckx
Executive Secretary
patrick.penninckx@coe.int – www.coe.int/Pompidou
Power Point Pompidou Group – revised November 2012

2. The European Framework
Council of Europe European Union EMCDDA
DG III – Social Cohesion European Commission
Pompidou Group DG - Justice, Freedom and
Set up in 1971 security
Incorporated into CoE in 1980
Set up in 1993
• EU Drugs Strategy 2005-2012
• Ministerial conference (4 years) Based in Lisbon
• Four-Year Work Programme
• Action Plan 2005-2008
• Action Plan 2009-2012 Role = provide the EU
Recent Meetings:
15th Ministerial Conference: and its Member States
3-4 November, 2010 with an overview of
European drug problems
68th Meeting of the Permanent
Correspondents: MoU between
30-31 March, 2011
Pompidou Group and
EMCDDA, November
2010
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3. The Pompidou Group
(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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4. The Role of the Pompidou Group
• core mission: contribute to the development of multidisciplinary,
innovative, effective and “evidence-based” drug policies in 35 Policy Practice
member states.
• seeks to link policy, practice and science.
• provides a multidisciplinary forum at the wider European level Science
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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5. The Pompidou Group’s Structure
• 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 • MedNET
• Treatment • EXASS Net
• Drug Supply Reduction • Cooperation and Assistance
Activities
• Research
• Ethics & Professional Standards
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6. Prevention
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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7. The European
Drug Prevention Prize
• 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
Prize 2004 Prize 2006 Prize 2008 Prize 2010 Prize 2012
44 applications 31 applications 34 applications 80 applications 83 applications
18 18 15 26 24
countries countries countries countries countries
Slovenia Ireland Bulgaria Belgium Germany
Switzerland Norway Greece Spain Lebanon
United-Kingdom Netherlands United-Kingdom Spain
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8. The European
Drug Prevention Prize
• 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”
 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
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9. 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 Clinical
Practice
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 Evidence-based
Practice
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10. Research
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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11. 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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12. Drug Supply Reduction
Aim: Co-operation among •Objective: developing political
specialised services (justice, guidelines that will strengthen
Criminal Issues international cooperation, with
health and care services, social
services) to find alternative the end goal of a harmonised
measures to imprisonment international control strategy
Working group on
Explore links
the elaboration of
Between crime and Drug Treatment in
guidelines aimed at
Drug-use Moldovan Prisons
Reducing drug
(recidivism)
Supply world-wide
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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13. Drug Supply Reduction
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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14. MedNET
• 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
• 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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15. EXASS NET
• 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
• 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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16. Cooperation Activities
Cooperation with non-member states
Aim: 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
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17. Cooperation Activities
Aim: Actively seeks cooperation
with other European and In-depth study of the possibilities for the
co-financing of activities in the
International Organisations to
European Mediterranean Region between the
avoid overlaps and to increase Union European Commission and the Council of
synergies. Europe.
Namely in the North African
and Middle East regions. UNODC signed a Memorandum of
Participation in the Regional EMCDDA Understanding, which will
Offices be elaborated in 2011
commission on narcotic drugs
Pompidou
(CND). Group
Joined Steering Group on
Cooperation on backtracking INCB WHO-HIPP Health in Prisons Programme
precursor diversion. to contribute to the drugs in
prisons program

18. 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
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19. For further information, please visit our website
http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/pompidou/default_en.asp
Or contact our Secretariat directly
Pompidou Group
Council of Europe
F - 67075 Strasbourg - CEDEX
pompidou.group@coe.int
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20. Thank you for your attention!
patrick.penninckx@coe.int – www.coe.int/Pompidou
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