EU and Colombia strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking and organised crime
The head of the European Parliament delegation visited Colombia to assess bilateral cooperation against organised crime and transnational drug trafficking.
European Parliament analyses how to halt drug trafficking networks in Bogotá
Javier Zarzalejos, head of delegation and president of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament, visited Colombia to meet with agencies, ministries and organisations, according to caracol.com.co. These meetings addressed the fight against drug trafficking, human rights and other matters of shared interest.
Zarzalejos arrived in the country with two specific objectives. The first was to deliver a direct message: "Colombia is a strategic partner of the European Union and wants to continue being one. The European Union is the leading investor in Colombia, that is a major commitment to the future, that is a commitment to the country," he said.
The second objective is aimed at assessing the current state of bilateral cooperation against drug trafficking and organised crime, phenomena that—according to the official—have acquired a transnational dimension and have become a geopolitical challenge for multiple countries. Based on that assessment, the delegation will seek to identify areas where such cooperation can and must be strengthened, taking into account the evolution of threats.
For Zarzalejos, an essential starting point is reaching a shared assessment. He warned that organised crime and drug trafficking are in constant transformation, which requires dedicating time, resources and follow-up to neutralising the flows of money laundering derived from drug trafficking and other illicit activities.
"It is essential not only to strengthen the capacities of states in police and judicial action against these groups, but it is also necessary to strangle them from a financial standpoint and prevent the infiltration of these activities into the legitimate economy," said the head of delegation.
Zarzalejos also stressed the need to update joint strategies in light of the changes in large criminal networks: "We have to define new cooperation strategies when we see that drug trafficking is seeking new routes, employing new techniques, the very organisation of major drug trafficking networks is changing."
Source: Google News CO — Crime