EU committees call for tougher rules on chemical precursors
To prevent them from being diverted to illegal drug production
New rules to ensure that chemicals used in industrial processes, such as manufacturing plastics, textiles, aspirin, flu and allergy remedies, dyes and perfumes, are not diverted to the illegal production of heroin, speed or crack were adopted by the European Union’s Civil Liberties Committee and by the International Trade Committee this week.
Civil Liberties MEPs backed a proposal to require companies using acetic anhydride (AA), a chemical precursor widely used in industry to manufacture products including plastics, aspirin, dyes and textiles, to register with the authorities.
Currently, companies that produce or trade AA have to register, but not those firms that use it in their products. This leaves a loophole that could allow criminals to divert large quantities of the chemical, which is also the main drug precursor for heroin, from legitimate trade within the EU. In 2008, 75% of the global seizures of trafficked AA took place in EU countries.
The committee also supported setting up a new European database on drug precursors so that licensed and registered businesses in the EU can be listed and data on seizures and intercepted shipments of the substance collated more efficiently.
To meet data protection concerns, Civil Liberties Committee MEPs passed amendments to clarify the use and processing of data and to ensure that the rights of data subjects are protected.
Also this week, the International Trade Committee MEPs backed a proposal to strengthen customs controls on trade in medicinal products containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. These substances are commonly used in cold, flu and allergy medicines but are also diverted to the illegal production of methamphetamines.
Trade MEPs strengthened the Commission's initial proposal, which would have subjected ephedrine and pseudoephedrine only to an export notification requirement, by instead subjecting them to the same control measures as imports and exports of other drug precursors. Trade in medicines containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine is currently not controlled.
The European Parliament's negotiating teams will now start discussions with member states’ representatives with a view to reaching agreements.