Seán Kelly (PPE). – Madam President, I was pleased also to vote in favour of this report. Turning the existing European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction into a fully fledged agency will further strengthen its role.
Threats to the EU’s public health and security must be tackled efficiently and effectively. The challenge posed by illegal drugs cannot be underestimated, and I therefore welcome all measures that will enhance the EU’s response to the drugs phenomenon.
This expansion will be an important tool at both EU and global level in combating illegal drugs. I support the rapporteurs emphasis on international cooperation and engagement with third countries and bodies. Ultimately, this expansion overall is an opportunity for the EU to progress on this issue in a comprehensive manner, and I welcome it, as I believe from anecdotal evidence that the drugs culture, unfortunately, is getting worse and threatening a lot of stability in our society.