ACCESSION NUMBER:00000 FILE ID:96121614.TXT DATE:12/16/96 TITLE:16-12-96 FACT SHEET: U.S.-EU CARRIBBEAN COUNTERNARCOTICS COOPERATION TEXT: (White House release of December 16) (320) FACT SHEET U.S.-EU Caribbean counternarcotics Cooperation Recognizing that drug production and trafficking in the Caribbean pose a serious threat to the United States, Europe and the Caribbean region itself, the U.S. Government and the European Union plan to work together on combined counternarcotics assistance projects for the Caribbean, valued at approximately $10 million per year. Both the U.S. and the EU plan to provide funding for various regional activities in these broad areas: -- regional coordination of drug control efforts through national drug commissions; -- strengthening of regional law enforcement capabilities, including maritime enforcement; -- intelligence collection, analysis and sharing; -- improvement of drug control laws and adjudication capabilities including witness security and assistance in prosecuting difficult cases; -- assistance in the investigation and prosecution of money laundering offenses; -- reduction of drug crops in the region; -- control of precursor and essential chemicals; and -- strengthening of drug demand reduction capabilities, including epidemiological surveillance. U.S.-EU cooperation grew out of a United Nations Drug Control Policy (UNDCP)-organized Caribbean regional meeting in Barbados in May 1996. In preparation for the meeting, an EU expert team studied the drug problems in the Caribbean and made a series of recommendations for remedial action. The Barbados meeting succeeded in merging the EU recommendations with those of the U.S., other donor nations, other multinational organizations including the Organization of American States/Commission Inter-americano para el Control de Abuso de Drogas (DAS/CICAD), and the Caribbean jurisdictions themselves to form a Caribbean Action Plan containing 68 recommendations, which was adopted by the meeting. U.S.-EU cooperative efforts will assist Caribbean jurisdictions in implementing the Action Plan. U.S.-EU activities will also be coordinated with those of other donors including UNDCP and OAS/CICAD. Assistance will be focused on strengthening existing Caribbean drug control institutions for maximum long-term sustainability. NNNN