In the framework of the follow up to the 4th Council of Europe Summit and based on a proposal by the Netherlands, at its 133rd Ministerial Session of May 2024, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided that: 

“18.  in pursuit of a relentless fight against corruption and organised crime, [the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe] invited the Pompidou Group to prepare policy guidelines in the area of combating organised crime relating to drug trafficking, based on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.”   

Consequently, a Joint Expert Group (JEG) was established and held its first meeting on 18 December 2024. The Group of 9 members is composed of three experts designated by the permanent correspondents of the Pompidou Group, three experts from the intergovernmental committees of the Council of Europe: the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC), the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) and the Committee of the Convention on counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes threatening public health (MEDICRIME Convention), one expert from the Council of Europe Secretariat (MEDICRIME), as well as two independent experts from academia. The Group will be supported by four Secretariat members from Pompidou Group and CDDH.  

This first meeting was an occasion for the members of the Joint Expert Group to review the Terms of Reference of their mandate and of a Background Study focusing on a preliminary assessment and evaluation of the current landscape and of the existing legal frameworks aimed at combating organised crime relating to drug trafficking. The Background Study will serve as an informative brief providing the expected scope, structural elements, challenges and indicate the existing and non-existing policy framework[s].

These policy guidelines shall serve as the foundation for a future Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation to member States on combating organised crime in the form of, and linked to, drug trafficking.