European Community legislation

Different types of administrations are involved in drug precursor control, notably Health, Police, and Customs.

Today, precursor specific controls through Customs at the EU external frontier are more important than ever. When the EU precursor legislation came into force, the EU used to be an exporter of drug precursors. Today this is still the case, but the EU has also become an importer of drug precursors. Especially those precursors than are generally not produced locally and must be brought into the EU. This situation requires particular attention from EU Customs when securing the EU external frontier.

A new legal arsenal has been put in place in the EU with the entry into force in August 2005 of a set of three regulations aiming at:

ü monitoring of trade in drug precursors between the EU and countries outside the Union. It requires that all imports – including transhipment, exports and intermediary activities involving drug precursors be documented by operators, and that drug precursors be clearly identified as such. In addition, businesses trading in drug precursors have to hold a license or must be registered;

ü monitoring of trade within the EU;

ü implementing rules for the two regulations mentioned above, in order to establish the necessary procedures regarding licensing, and further detailed rules concerning the monitoring of trade. Imports and exports require prior individual authorisations where specific forms must be used. For transshipment consignments the operator must be able to demonstrate the licit purposes of the transaction.

Diversion of drug precursors is a problem with an obviously international dimension, spanning several continents. This is why co-operation between the EU and other countries has a very significant role to play in preventing relevant chemicals from ending up in the illicit manufacture of ecstasy and other dangerous substances.

IX. Fill in the gaps with a suitable preposition from the list.

for	in	of	in
with	upon	between	with
on	against	of
in	in

1. Ecstasy … particular is a major source … concern … the European Union.

2. Cooperation … the EU and other countries has a very significant role … preventing the illicit manufacture … dangerous substances.

3. The EU has concluded bilateral agreements … a number of countries … the world to help prevent the diversion of drug precursors.

4. Co-operation … industry is a core element of international drug precursor control.

5. EU legislation … drug precursors is based … Article 12 of the

1988 United Nations Convention … illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

6. Many synthetic drugs are made in the EU … large quantities.

X. Translate into English.

1. Таможенные органы Беларуси располагают уникальным опы-том борьбы с распространением наркотиков, который был накоплен за годы партнерских отношений с таможенными службами раз-личных государств.

2. В начале 1990-х годов таможенники обнаруживали партии кокаина в банках с этикетками «Свиная тушенка» и в пакетах

с соком, поставляемых в Россию из Колумбии. Также была изъята крупнейшая за последние годы партия героина весом 237 кг, кото-рый был расфасован в пакеты для соков. Таможенники обнаружи-вали кокаин, растворенный в вине, марихуану, замаскированную

в краске. Для доставки наркотиков используют тайники, оборудо-ванные в железнодорожных вагонах, в труднодоступных для до-смотра полостях автомобилей.

3. Угроза, которая исходит от наркобизнеса, уже давно приняла глобальный характер. Анализируя статистику задержаний контра-банды наркотиков на таможенной границе, можно констатировать, что основная масса наркотиков, включая такие особо опасные, как

героин и кокаин, поступают в Россию из-за рубежа.

4. Взаимодействие белорусской таможенной службы с зарубеж-ными коллегами в сфере борьбы с контрабандой наркотиков осу-

ществляется на основе межправ тельственных соглашений о со-трудничестве и взаимопомощи, которые заключены более чем с 50 странами мира.

XI. Read the text and discuss the following: «How can communication between Customs and Police improve the situation in the fight against drug trafficking in the world»?

The world's Customs Services play a major role in the fight against drug trafficking. No one knows the full extent of this illicit trade; though it cannot be determined what percentage of illicit drugs Customs Services detect and prevent from reaching the market, the total tonnage that has been seized is a very substantial and impressive figure.

This enforcement role is one that Customs does not bear alone. The responsibility for interdicting illicit drugs is one that is almost everywhere shared by the Customs Service of that nation with its Police authorities. Some drug seizures result strictly from Customs activities, some are made by the Police and in many cases, seizure actions occur from joint action of both groups. To be truly effective against the drug trade requires both services, Customs and Police, to work closely together.

Despite all the efforts and successes of Customs Services and Police around the world, there does not appear to be any drop up in the illicit drug trade. Rather it appears to be spreading, particularly in regions and countries where up to now it has operated on a very small scale. It continues to be an insidious threat to the economies and societies of every world region. The drug smugglers counter the successes of Customs with new routings, new concealments, new categories of persons as couriers. Responding to these changing patterns in the trade requires constant vigilance from all Customs Services.

XII. Translate into Russian.