European ports, notably Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Hamburg, have increasingly become the main entry points into Europe for drugs sourced from Latin America, with cocaine leading the shipments. Data from the European Commission show that more than 70% of seizures occur in ports that are still vulnerable to exploitation by criminal organizations. To confront this trend and the insecurity and violence it fuels, the European Union announced a public-private alliance this week. The initiative will unite ports, national authorities, European institutions such as Europol, operators, customs, and police services in a coordinated effort.
“Cooperation among national authorities, the EU, and port authorities is essential. Organized crime adapts quickly, moving from port to port as opportunities shift. A robust network is needed to disrupt these flows,” stated Ylva Johansson, the EU internal affairs commissioner, at the Antwerp event. Antwerp ranks as the world’s fourteenth-largest port, boasting infrastructure the size of 20,000 football fields and the capacity to handle millions of containers annually.
“Success against criminals in one port will push them to others,” Johansson added, echoing the Belgian interior minister Annelies Verlinden. “We will not achieve real progress if we operate only at the national level.” The six countries—Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Belgium—agreed to pool resources and information, building on a cooperation framework in place since 2021 that has already increased information exchange.
Smuggling is on the rise
The new alliance, to be unveiled on the eve of an informal interior ministers meeting, is part of the European Commission’s 18 October roadmap to combat drug trafficking. Cocaine, a leading drug threat, continues to flood European markets and permeate various illicit networks that move through containers and goods alike. In 2023, Antwerp seized 121 tons of drugs, a 10% increase from 2022 and a significant share of the 303 tonnes seized by European authorities in 2021.
“Cocaine remains resilient in the face of inflation, and the flow of drugs is increasing,” Johansson noted, highlighting the collateral damage of this illegal trade: corruption, insecurity, and violence. She pointed to the EU’s murder statistics linked to drug trafficking and underscored the need to strengthen cooperation between customs and police through the public-private alliance. The discussion referenced deadly incidents in Antwerp in early 2017 and other recent violence that communities bear the burden of.
Custom controls
The alliance aims to strengthen risk assessment and implement more precise, effective controls at ports to prevent the infiltration of criminal activity. With support from Europol, Eurojust, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, police operations against drug-trafficking networks will be intensified at ports. A formal public-private partnership will also be established to raise awareness among port and shipping stakeholders and to support ongoing anti-trafficking work. The next step involves committing to a work plan to guide future efforts.
As Paolo Gentiloni, the EU Commissioner for Economy, noted, an expanded EU Customs Administration could play a crucial role, alongside strengthened international cooperation. He urged closer ties with port authorities of origin to disrupt drug flows before they reach Europe, aiming to close the tap on both sides of the Atlantic. The leaders referenced a 2023 initiative to bolster ties with key Latin American partners on the drug route to Europe, including Ecuador and Colombia, to reinforce cooperation at the source.