The fight against drugs

France’s resources in the fight against drugs are coordinated by the Interministerial Mission for the Fight against Drugs and Drug Addiction (MILDT: http://www.drogues.gouv.fr), attached to the Prime Minister. The primary purpose of the MILDT is to coordinate the policy on the fight against drug addiction at national level; it also takes part in developing France’s position in international bodies. It is a light structure, made up of civil servants made available by the administrations concerned (Foreign Affairs, with a diplomatic advisor, Interior, Customs, Justice, Social Affairs, National Education, etc.). The MILDT has an independent budget for supporting actions undertaken by the different ministries and for conducting its own operations in cross-cutting fields (support for the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, the OFDT, the equivalent of the European Information Network on Drugs and Drug Addiction, Reitox, and of EMCDDA, and for the national telephone helpline, “Drogue Info-Services”, and a grant to the anti-drug training centre in Martinique). Together with the ministries concerned, the MILDT has developed a five-year action plan for the period 2004-2008.

With the MILDT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinates international cooperation in the fight against drugs, specifically in multilateral circles. Through its Directorate General for International Development Cooperation, the Ministry manages several projects within the framework of its bilateral cooperation to fight drugs and drug addiction. Several administrations are concerned by our external action in this field.

The Ministry of Justice plays a significant role in our international action, due in particular to its network of liaison magistrates. In addition to dealing operationally with mutual assistance measures (facilitating the execution of letters rogatory, exchange of information), these magistrates are in a privileged position to observe any change in the focus of drug crime policies within the host country.

Within the Ministry of the Interior, several departments play a part in the fight against drugs: the anti-drug mission (MILAD), under the auspices of the Director General of the National Police, the Central Office for the Control of Illegal Drug Trafficking (OCRTIS), which has liaison officers in many countries, the Central Office for Control of Major Financial Offences (OCRGDF), and the International Police Technical Cooperation Service (SCTIP).

The National Gendarmerie is also particularly involved in fighting drugs and drug addiction.

At the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry, the Directorate General of Customs (DGDDI) plays an important part in the seizure of narcotics, the structure responsible for processing information and action against illicit financial circuits (TRACFIN) receives and deals with suspicions about money laundering offences from financial intermediaries, the National Mission for Controlling Chemical Precursors (MNCPC) brings together police officers, customs officers and industry officials to follow up and implement regulations on precursors as they arise from the Community and international texts. The navy, with other services, is responsible for fighting narcotics trafficking on the high seas in the French West Indies-Guyana zone (conducting operations in liaison with customs, the Gendarmerie and foreign navies).

These various administrations work within the Interministerial Training Centre against the Abuse of Drugs (CIFAD), located in Fort de France, which provides training to area countries.

(last update : december 2004)