Drugs trafficking through the Internet
30.9.2014
Question for written answer E-007301-14
to the Commission
Rule 130
Elissavet Vozemberg (PPE)
The recently published 2014 EU report on drugs stresses that Europe is an important destination for controlled substances and estimates that 1 in 4 adults in the EU has used an illegal substance at some time in his or her life. Furthermore, according to statistics, every year approximately one million seizures of illegal substances are reported in Europe.
However, the Internet is characterised as a growing market: it plays an increasingly important role as regards the means by which drugs are being trafficked, since it is becoming more and more common for drugs to be sold to traffickers and consumers via the ‘Deep Web’ (websites that maintain the anonymity of the users whose identity is not revealed by search engines). At the same time, it is becoming extremely difficult to control this trafficking, as web hosting providers and payment processing service providers may be located in a different country.
In view of the above, will the Commission state:
- — Does it have any information showing the extent of trafficking in drugs and other psychotropic substances in the EU via the Internet?
- — Since, due to austerity or fiscal consolidation programmes, many Member States have made spending cuts in the areas of health, public order and security, does it consider that sufficient funds are available for programmes and services related to drugs in the Member States (prevention, treatment/rehabilitation, social integration)?