• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Español
  • English
  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
CDE Almería – Centro de Documentación Europea – Universidad de Almería

CDE Almería - Centro de Documentación Europea - Universidad de Almería

Centro de Documentación Europea de la Universidad de Almería

  • HOME
  • WHAT´S ON
    • EU BULLETINS
    • EU NEWS
    • Activities
    • EU Calls and Awards
    • Radio Program «Europe with You»
  • DOCUMENTATION
    • Bibliographic Collection
      • Almería EDC Digital Collection
      • UNIVERSITY OF ALMERIA LIBRARY
    • Documentation by topic
    • EU Media Collection
      • Web Space
      • MEDIATHEQUE REPOSITORY
  • Europe on the net
    • Institutions
    • EU Representation in Spain
    • European information network of Andalusia
    • EU official journal
  • ABOUT US
    • Presentation
    • People
    • Contact

EU Drug Markets: Impact of COVID-19

Inicio » EU News » Defence & Security » Crime » EU Drug Markets: Impact of COVID-19

03/06/2020

EMCDDA and Europol analyse impact of pandemic on EU drug markets. New report provides window onto EU drug market changes during COVID-19

What effect is COVID-19 having on the largest criminal market in the EU?

This question is explored in EU Drug Markets: Impact of COVID-19, a new report out today from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol. The analysis reports higher prices, local shortages and reduced purity for some drugs, while noting continued violence among suppliers and distributors. It also shows how organised crime groups remain active and resilient, by ‘adapting transportation models, trafficking routes and concealment methods’, even during the pandemic.

The two EU agencies have joined forces to improve understanding of drug market developments under COVID-19 and their impact on internal security and public health in the EU. The findings are based on opinions collected through a targeted EMCDDA online survey of drug experts in the EU Member States, Europol’s operational intelligence gathering on organised crime and structured monitoring of open source information.

According to the report, disruption to the drug trafficking supply chain is seen mostly at the distribution level, due to social distancing measures within the EU. With street dealing severely affected by restrictions on movement, consumers and dealers are increasingly turning to alternative methods, including the use of darknet markets, social media platforms and encrypted communication apps, with cashless payments and fewer face-to-face interactions. But while the logistics may have changed, the movement of bulk quantities of drugs between EU Member States has not ceased, despite border controls, due to the continued commercial transportation of goods across Europe.

There is less evidence of disruption at the wholesale importation level. Drug trafficking by maritime shipping continues at levels similar to the pre-pandemic period, although there has been a marked disruption in smuggling by air passenger transport. Cocaine trafficking via maritime shipping containers continues at levels comparable to 2019 and the number of cocaine seizures in some countries has increased. Heroin trafficking appears to continue along many of the known routes (e.g. Balkan route).

COVID-19 has exacerbated already ongoing disruption to the cannabis resin supply chain from Morocco into the EU. This, along with stockpiling of herbal cannabis by consumers, has led to some cannabis shortages and rising prices. Localised shortages of heroin have also been reported, which could lead to a switch to alternative substances (e.g. synthetic opioids). While the demand for cannabis and heroin remain largely stable, demand for synthetic drugs used in recreational settings has ‘significantly diminished’, due to the closure of clubs, nightlife settings and music events. Despite this, the production of synthetic drugs has continued.

More information

Press release – where you can donwload the report.

Publicaciones relacionadas:

The European Commission will address the issue of Coronavirus at its meeting on 5th March COVID-19: UN releases US$15 million to help vulnerable countries to combat coronavirus NOW: Press conference about Coronavirus EU Civil Protection Mechanism must be sufficiently funded to save lives COVID-19: Commission steps up research funding and selects 17 projects in vaccine development, treatment and diagnostics

“This is a space for debate. All comments, for or against publication, that are respectful and do not contain expressions that are discriminatory, defamatory or contrary to current legislation will be published”.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Publicaciones relacionadas

The European Commission will address the issue of Coronavirus at its meeting on 5th March COVID-19: UN releases US$15 million to help vulnerable countries to combat coronavirus NOW: Press conference about Coronavirus EU Civil Protection Mechanism must be sufficiently funded to save lives COVID-19: Commission steps up research funding and selects 17 projects in vaccine development, treatment and diagnostics

Footer

Logotipo en negativo del Centro de Documentación Europea de Almería

CDE Almería
Edificio Parque Científico-Tecnológico (Pita)
Planta: 1ª, Despacho: 29
04120. Ctra. Sacramento s/n. Almería (Spain)
Teléfono: (+34) 950 015266

Navegación

INICIO
ACTUALIDAD
DOCUMENTACIÓN
EUROPA EN LA RED
CONÓCENOS
ACCESIBILIDAD
MAPA DE SITIO
AYUDA AL USUARIO

AVISO LEGAL
POLÍTICA DE PRIVACIDAD
POLÍTICA DE COOKIES

Copyright © 2022 CDE Almería · <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/” rel=”license”><img class=”alignright” style=”border-width: 0;” src=”https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/88×31.png” alt=”Creative Commons License” /></a>This work is licensed under a <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/” rel=”license”>Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.

<p>El Centro de Documentación Europea de la Universidad de Almería utiliza cookies propias y de terceros para facilitar al usuario la navegación en su página Web y el acceso a los distintos contenidos alojados en la misma. Asimismo, se utilizan cookies analíticas de terceros para medir la interacción de los usuarios con el sitio Web. Pinche el siguiente enlace si desea información sobre el uso de cookies y como deshabilitarlas. ajustes</p>

Politica de privacidad

El Centro de Documentación Europea de la Universidad de Almería utiliza cookies propias y de terceros para facilitar al usuario la navegación en su página Web y el acceso a los distintos contenidos alojados en la misma. Asimismo, se utilizan cookies analíticas de terceros para medir la interacción de los usuarios con el sitio Web. Pinche el siguiente enlace si desea información sobre el uso de cookies y como deshabilitarlas. <a href="/politica-de-cookies" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Más información</a>

Cookies estrictamente necesarias

Las cookies estrictamente necesarias tiene que activarse siempre para que podamos guardar tus preferencias de ajustes de cookies.

Básicamente la web no funcionara bien si no las activas.

Estas cookies son:

  • Comprobación de inicio de sesión.
  • Cookies de seguridad.
  • Aceptación/rechazo previo de cookies.

Si desactivas esta cookie no podremos guardar tus preferencias. Esto significa que cada vez que visites esta web tendrás que activar o desactivar las cookies de nuevo.

Cookies de terceros

Esta web utiliza Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager y Yandex Metrika para recopilar información anónima tal como el número de visitantes del sitio, o las páginas más populares.

Dejar estas cookies activas nos permite mejorar nuestra web.

¡Por favor, activa primero las cookies estrictamente necesarias para que podamos guardar tus preferencias!

Política de cookies

Pinche el siguiente enlace si desea información sobre el uso de cookies y como deshabilitarlas. Más información