Representatives from Latin American and Caribbean national drug agencies participated in a high-level bi-regional meeting with European Union institutions in Brussels from December 9 to 11, held within the framework of the EU-CELAC Mechanism on Drugs and the COPOLAD III program.
During the sessions, both regions addressed four shared priorities:
• the expansion of COPOLAD III and the alignment of future priorities;
• the growing violence associated with illicit drug markets;
• the strengthening of public health and harm reduction policies;
• bi-regional cooperation on chemical precursors and new synthetic threats.
The meeting included a dialogue with the European Drug Agency (EUDA) and a working session with EU institutions to review the policy and cooperation tools available to address the global challenges of drug trafficking.
On December 11, the delegations participated in the Technical Committee of the EU-CELAC Mechanism, followed by an intra-CELAC meeting focused on common priorities and coordination for 2026. They also held a discussion with the National Drug Commissioner of the Kingdom of Belgium on the management of hotspots and organized crime assets.
The agencies in the region reaffirmed their commitment to a renewed bi-regional roadmap, aimed at comprehensive responses in security, public health, prevention, and international cooperation.
