Research project DR/62 (Research action DR)
In December 2004, the European Council took the decision to develop by 2012, following the key indicators for drug demand, a complex of drug supply indicators that would allow to measure the effectiveness, the efficiency and the evidence-based character of the law enforcement strategies and actions. This objective was put forward by the EU Drugs Strategy (2005-2012) and the EU Drugs Action Plans of 2005-2008 and 2009-2012. In 2010 the Commission presented a Staff Working Document on improving the collection of data on drug markets, drug related crime and drug supply reduction measures in the European Union. To further develop the conceptual framework and to draw up a list of reliable and sustainable indicators that would allow performant monitoring of the supply side, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), in cooperation with the European Commission and the European Police Office (Europol), organised the first European Conference on drug supply indicators.
The SUPMAP-project has the ambition to test the national boundaries of the operationalisation of the key indicators, as defined by the European Commission and further developed by EMCDDA. We take the liberty to appraise within the three given parameters whether additional key indicators can be developed. This feasibility study uses Belgium as a test-case and hereby supports the conceptual development of these indicators by the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). The harmonization with the EMCDDA is a necessity for this project. The interaction between a feasibility study conducted at national – Belgian – level and the process development at EMCDA level will mutually increase their effectiveness.
The following research objectives can be distinguished:
D1: To describe for each of the three axes (Drug markets; Drug-related crime; Supply reduction), which indicators could generate relevant data on the drug supply side, hereby indicating the finality of these indicators, what they do measure and what not, and by which criteria they should be assessed to be useful indicators to monitor the drugs supply side.
D2: To list potential sources and actors able to provide the information on these indicators and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Consistent with the recommendation to persuade these actors of the added value of indicators, and the necessary data collection and provision, it has to be indicated how this can contribute to their activities. Also, the willingness of these actors to provide these data and to use indicators has to be assessed.
D3: To assess the availability of these data in Belgium (if available, to what extent and where). If data are not (sufficiently) available, it will be identified how the necessary data can be generated, how the available data flows can be optimised and what the preconditions are to achieve all this.
D4: To develop and to test a national indicator data set to monitor the supply of illegal drugs in Belgium. To conclude the research, the identified and collected indicators will be operationalized by using the available data. This will be the case for the three axes (Drug markets, drug-related crime, supply reduction). Thereby, recommendations will be made, including essential clarification to use and interpret the data set.
Members of the follow-up committee
Aziz Naji - BELSPO
Jessica Dommicent - DGJ/DJP/Drugs,Federale politie
Johan van Bussel- WIV (BMCDDA, National focal point EMCDDA)
Martine Pattyn - Federale Politie
Catherine Van der Straeten - Dienst voor het Strafrechtelijk Beleid, Dienst Misdrijven tegen personen en goederen
Filip Van Durme- NICC
Tony Verachtert - DGJ/DJP/Drugs, Federale politie
Olivier Hons - Administratie van Douane en Accijnzen
Jean-Baptiste Andries- Referentiemagistraat Drugs College van Procureurs Generaal
Pascal Garlement - DGJ/DJP/Drugs, Federale politie
Karel Berteloot - Dienst voor het Strafrechtelijk Beleid, Dienst Misdrijven tegen personen en goederen
Mark Crispel - Vaste Commissie van de Lokale Politie
Eric Wauters - Vaste Commissie van de Lokale Politie
Julie Heyse - ISD, Ugent
Sissi Van Moeseke - PZ Gent
Laurent Raspe - PZ Mons-Quévy
Paul Cleyman - PZ Antwerpen
Het aanbod van illegale drugs in België: wat weten we? Een haalbaarheidstudie van betrouwbare indicatoren voor het drugsaanbod (SUPMAP) : eindrapport
Smet, Valerie - De Ruyver, Brice - Colman, Charlotte ... et al Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2013 (SP2576)
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Het aanbod van illegale drugs in België: wat weten we? Een haalbaarheidstudie van betrouwbare indicatoren voor het drugsaanbod : samenvatting en aanbevelingen
Smet, Valerie - De Ruyver, Brice - Colman, Charlotte ... et al Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2013 (SP2577)
[To download]
L'offre de drogues illégales en Belgique: que savons-nous? Une étude de faisabilité d'indicateurs fiables pour l'offre de drogues : résumé et recommandations
Smet, Valerie - De Ruyver, Brice - Colman, Charlotte ... et al Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2013 (SP2578)
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The illegal drug supply in Belgium: What do we know? A feasibility study of reliable indicators for the drug supply : summary and recommandations
Smet, Valerie - De Ruyver, Brice - Colman, Charlotte ... et al Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2013 (SP2579)
[To download]
