Brussels, 29 September 2023
Today, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, will chair in Brussels, together with the Colombian Minister of National Defence, Iván Velásquez Gómez, the second EU-Colombia Dialogue on Drugs. The dialogue will address recent developments regarding drug related policies, enhancing cooperation on the reduction ofdrug supply, demand and harm. The discussions will also address the impact of illicit crops cultivation, drugs processing on the environment and the gender dimension of drug policy. The exchange of views is carried out at Ministerial level with representatives from Colombia, and EU Member States, alongside the Commission.
Following these discussions, Commissioner Johansson and Minister Velásquez Gómez will hold a press briefing at 13:00 CEST, broadcasted live on EbS.
Both the EU and Colombia are concerned about the current escalation of global drug trafficking, posing a significant risk to our societies. The first EU-Colombia Dialogue on Drugs was held on 17 June 2022, in Bogotá.
To strengthen cooperation in the global fight against drug trafficking, Commissioner Johansson visited Colombia in February this year together with the Belgian Minister of Home Affairs, Annelies Verlinden. Then in March, the Commission proposed a joint project to strengthen the exchange of information between Europol and Colombia to bring criminals to justice and dismantle organised criminal structures that are behind the production and trafficking of drugs.
Source – EU Commission