A group of seven European Union countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, is urging stricter and more consistent security standards across EU ports to counter the growing influence of organised criminal networks.
The joint initiative, presented ahead of a European ports alliance meeting in Gdańsk, comes amid mounting concern over the role ports play in international drugs trafficking, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.
While major hubs like Antwerp have seen a drop in cocaine seizures following enhanced controls, smaller ports are increasingly being exploited—an unintended consequence referred to as the “waterbed effect”.
The alliance gathering, which includes government officials and private-sector representatives, aims to boost cross-border cooperation to counter drugs smuggling and other forms of organised crime.
The seven countries propose aligning port security rules across the EU. Suggestions include standardised screening procedures for port staff, crew and visiting personnel, as well as improved intelligence-sharing on smuggling tactics and suspicious cargo.
“Drug criminals spare no one in their threats and intimidation to advance their illegal practices: judges, prosecutors, police officers, journalists and mayors,” said Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel. “Port employees, too, working at a major drug transit location, must become resilient to the practices of drug criminals.”
The group has urged the European Commission to bolster existing crime-fighting tools, calling for better monitoring and reporting systems to help identify the most effective national, EU-wide or global countermeasures.
The proposals reflect growing alarm among EU leaders over the evolving methods used by traffickers and the increasing vulnerability of strategic infrastructure to criminal networks.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
Source: caliber.az
scorpion.az