Europeans are spending at least EUR 30 billion on drugs each year at retail level, making the drug market a major source of income for organised crime groups in the European Union.
This figure comes from the Drug Markets Report 2019, released by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) and Europol (1). Around two-fifths of this total (39%) is spent on cannabis, 31% on cocaine, 25% on heroin and 5% on amphetamines and MDMA (2).
The two agencies have joined forces to provide their third state-of-the art overview of the European illicit drug market. The report covers trends along the supply chain from production and trafficking to distribution and sales. It describes how the drug market has wide-ranging impacts on both health and security and how a holistic approach is crucial for effective drug control policies.
The use of heroin and other opioids still accounts for the largest share of drug-related harms. The retail value of the heroin market in 2017 was estimated to be at least EUR 7.4 billion. There are indications that heroin availability in the EU may increase mainly as recent opium production estimates from Afghanistan, levels of seizures in Turkey and intelligence assessments of activity along the main trafficking routes to Europe are all high, and large consignments of heroin have been detected within the EU. Therefore, vigilance is required to identify any increases in heroin use. Synthetic opioids such as methadone, buprenorphine, tramadol and fentanyl derivatives are also available on the drug market. They appear to be growing in importance and pose additional challenges from regulatory, law enforcement and health perspectives.
The cocaine market is the second largest illicit drug market in the EU, with an estimated minimum retail value in 2017 of EUR 9.1 billion. Surveys estimate that about 4 million people in the EU will have used cocaine in the past year. Use is still concentrated in the west and south of Europe but appears to be becoming more common elsewhere. Production estimates in the three main producing countries and seizures in Europe were at record levels in 2017. Cocaine-manufacturing processes also appear to be becoming more efficient, and the EU is a potential source of precursor chemicals; attempted diversion of large amounts of the precursor, potassium permanganate, and significant seizures of other chemicals used in cocaine production have been reported in Europe.
Europe’s synthetic drugs market, particularly in respect to stimulants like amphetamine, MDMA and methamphetamine, is evolving rapidly. Within the stimulant market, these drugs compete for market share alongside cocaine and a number of new psychoactive substances. Of the two closely related stimulants, amphetamine continues to be more commonly used than methamphetamine in most EU countries, though there are growing signs of a gradual diffusion of methamphetamine use. The value of the EU retail market for amphetamines (amphetamine and methamphetamine combined) in 2017 is estimated to be at least EUR 1 billion, and for MDMA EUR 0.5 billion.
Presenting the report’s findings Dimitris Avramopoulos, the former European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship said: ‘Organised crime groups are quick to seize new opportunities for financial gain and are increasingly exploiting technological and logistical innovations to expand their activities across international borders.
At the same time, drugs are now more accessible to European consumers, often via social media and the internet.
The report proves once again that the illicit drug market remains a threat to the health and security of our citizens. We will continue working relentlessly with our Member States and international partners on strengthening our fight against drugs in all its aspects; for our youth, our citizens, our society.’
Illicit drug markets have both direct and indirect impacts on society that go far beyond the harms caused by the use of drugs themselves. These include the links that exist with wider criminal activities and terrorism; the negative impact on the legal economy and communities; and the increasingly important issue of how the drug market can fuel corruption and undermine governance.
Via Eurpol
