18 November 1992

Doc. 6720

MOTION FOR A RECOMMENDATION

on drugs trafficking, drugs related crime and

money laundering

by Mr RATHBONE and others


1.       The problems of drug misuse and trafficking continue and are still growing throughout Europe: and drug related crime increases.

2.       Huge amounts of money are involved in this trafficking and in this crime, as vividly illustrated in the recent Council of Europe Conference on Money Laundering in Strasbourg, 28-30 September 1992.

3.       This problem is growing even though parliaments are increasingly adopting national laws and governments establishing international agreements in order to better control and reduce laundering of monies earned from such illegal activities - and to improve the ability to confiscate goods and money arising from such crime.

4.       The Assembly of the Council of Europe welcomes the fact that two member states have already ratified the Council of Europe Convention on laundering, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds from crime and that nineteen other member states have signed the convention prior to ratification.

5.       And it additionally welcomes the European Community Directive on prevention, which comes into force on 1 January 1993.

6.       Even so the Assembly is convinced that there is no room for complacency, that further ratifications be urgently sought for the Council of Europe Convention and that further action against these crimes is still required.

7.       This is particularly necessary because more rigorous systems of control are likely to lead to more sophisticated methods of trafficking and laundering.

8.       Therefore the Assembly resolves that a review of these worrying matters is needed and recommends that the Committe of Ministers of the Council of Europe take steps in order to prepare further more extensive and intensive actions by member states.

Signed:       Rathbone, Stoffelen, Vogel, Bindig, Worms, Rokofyllos, Akarcali, Güner, Franck, Hċgard, Tabajdi, Karcsay.