Industry collaboration

Industry cooperation is a key element in international control of drug precursors. EU legislation on drug precursors fully reflects the fundamental nature of the principle of industry cooperation and, to this end, the European Commission promotes full collaboration with the chemical industry, particularly with respect to uncatalogued substances. It has drawn up and distributed guidelines for identification of suspicious transactions, so that the industry can monitor the trading thereof.

Firstly, companies, i.e. manufacturers, producers, traders, distributors, freighters, etc., are the first line of defence against the diversion of drug precursors, since they are in a better position to know their clients and identify possible transactions and unusual or suspicious orders.

Secondly, business offers detailed know-how and very significant experience for establishing efficient monitoring systems without prejudice to legitimate trade.

Thirdly, because voluntary cooperation with the company has proven to be effective and very flexible, since it enables quick response to changes in trends and patterns in the diversion of drug precursors. If voluntary surveillance is considered insufficient to prevent the use of an uncatalogued substance in illegal drug manufacturing, the Commission may include it within the list of substances subject to controls.

The Commission has signed Collaboration agreements with the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) and the European Association of Chemical Distributors (FECC).

At national level, a Collaboration Agreement has been signed between the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Finance and Public Administrations (in representation of the Customs Department as responsible for control and surveillance of drug precursors in foreign trade between the EU and non-EU countries) and the Secretary of State of the Ministry of the Interior (in representation of the Intelligence Centre against Organised Crime as responsible for control and supervision of domestic trade in the EU), on the one hand; and also with FEIQUE -the Spanish Chemical Industry Business Federation.