EU, Ukraine and Harm Reduction

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EU, Ukraine and Harm Reduction

• Round Table on Multi-Agency cooperation in
  implementing drug policy
• Kiev 12 December 2008
• Edoardo Spacca
• Legal Advisor on FSJ UEPLAC
• edoardo.spacca_at_ueplac.kiev.ua

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Introduction

• EU Treaties
• EU Drug Strategy 2005/2012 and EU Action Plan on
  Drugs 2005/2008
• EU/UA ENP AP and EU/UA Action Plan on Freedom,
  Security and Justice
• Harm Reduction in EU Member States
• Conclusions

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EU Treaties

• Aims
• High level of health protection, weel-being and
  social cohesion by prevention and reducing drug
  use, dependence and drug-related harms to health
  and society.
• High-level of security by taking action against
  drug production and trafficking.

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EU Drug Strategy Action Plans

• Aims of EU Drug Strategy 2005/2012
• Integrated, Multi-disciplinary and balanced
  approach to the drug problem
• Internationally to promote such approach with
  partner countries
• Objectives of the EU Action Plan 2005/2008
• To implement the strategy through concrete
  actions

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EU-Ukraine ENP AP

• Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
• Ensure respect for human rights and fundamental
  freedoms, foster civil society development,
  prevention of ill-treatment and torture
• Public Health
• Focus on communicable diseases, in particular
  HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C
• Exchange of information, best practices and
  support to projects addressing the HIV/AIDS
  epidemic

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Freedom Security and Justice

• EU-Ukraine Action Plan
• AIM to support Ukraine in the application and
  implementation of International and European
  Standards in the fields of FSJ

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Drugs

• Chapter on
• International and European cooperation on law
  enforcement
• Support to develop a balanced national strategy,
  inclusive of harm reduction
• Support to coordination and multi-agency approach
  to prevent and treat drug problems and their
  related harms
• Involvement of civil society.

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EU Member States

• Services available
• Non judgemental education and information Say
  KNOW to drugs
• Low threshold services needle exchange
  programmes, VCT, drop-in centres, supervised
  injection rooms, Hep. Vaccination, pills testing,
  paraphernalia kits for all drugs, etc.
• Substitution Treatment, including with Heroin

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• Harm Reduction is an effective approach to
  promote the health and well being of societies,
  not just of drug users. The services provided
  increase also the level of security and safety of
  all citizens, helping police and others in
  increasing the effectiveness of their action
  against drugs nuisances.