Has the US war on drugs been lost and what lessons should Europe heed?

With a greater number of casualties than the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns combined, and very meagre results, the US is starting to reconsider the "War on Drugs", waged since the '70s. The paradox of the "repressive-only" approach - the tougher the government acts, the more profitable the drug trade becomes - is being increasingly exposed by the media, opinion leaders, and politicians. Does Europe have an approach, and is it any more effective than the American one? Should European policies on the matter be more coordinated in tackling the societal challenges which are the causes and consequences of drug use? What is the record of countries that have adopted a decriminalisation approach? Is the "War on Drugs" part of the US' global responsibility, and is it also likely to change as a result of power shift and American global disengagement?

• A Citizen’s Controversy with Dana Spinant, Head of Unit for Anti-Drugs Policies at the European Commission, and Martin Jelsma, Coordinator of the Drugs and Democracy Programme of the Transnational Institute (TNI).
• The debate will be moderated by Marco Giuli, Research Fellow, Madariaga - College of Europe Foundation.

The debate will be held in English.

To register, please send your name, title and the name of your organisation to info@madariaga.org or by fax to: +32 (0) 2 209 62 11.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact +32 (0) 2 209 62 10.

Participation fee: €10 / Students: €3. Sandwiches and drinks will be provided from 12:30 onwards

Read here the full programme.

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