Future of the COPOLAD programme

Question for written answer E-001942/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Francisco José Millán Mon (PPE)

COPOLAD is an EU-funded delegated cooperation programme that has been fostering dialogue and cooperation between the EU[1] and the Latin American and Caribbean countries on anti-drug policies for a decade.

The European Commission, in its Communication of 18 October 2023 on the EU roadmap to fight drug trafficking and organised crime, states that 'regional technical assistance programmes, such as EL PAcCTO, EUROFRONT and COPOLAD III as well as the Global Illicit Flows Programme, have proven to be effective instruments in boosting national and regional capabilities to fight organised crime.'

The current programme, COPOLAD III, has a budget of EUR 15 million and an execution time of 4 years from February 2021. It will expire in January 2025.

In light of the above:

• 1.Is the European Commission working to renew the highly significant COPOLAD programme beyond 2025?
• 2.In view of the growing threat of drug trafficking in Latin America and its consequences in Europe, are there plans to raise the budget for the new COPOLAD programme?

Submitted: 3.10.2024

• [1] https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/index_en