Candidate, potential candidate and neighbouring countries of the EU, preparing to collaborate with the EMCDDA, will participate in the third ‘Reitox week’ to be held in Lisbon from 25–28 November. This annual event, initiated in 2012 and enlarging the regular Heads of focal point session, will bring together representatives of over 40 nations including: the current 30 members of the network, Russia and a number of beneficiaries of the European Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) and the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI).
This year, the event will observe the official closure of a technical cooperation project with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo*, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey (IPA 4). The national correspondents from these countries will present the results of this three-year project, initiated in January 2012. The event will also give the EMCDDA the chance to present the first regional report on drug use in the Western Balkans, based largely on the national reports written this year by the project beneficiaries.
This year’s Reitox week is also special in that it includes a full-day session on the topical issue of cannabis legislation and policy. Here, the participants will hear experts from the United States, Latin America and Europe share their knowledge on developments in this area and the knock-on challenges for drug monitoring. Exchanging experience and opinions in this session will be partners from outside the EU, including: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Lebanon, Moldova, Morocco, Russia and Ukraine.
The meeting of the extended Reitox network will be followed by the regular meeting of the 30 Reitox members from 26–28 November. The latter will gather the focal points and EMCDDA staff around content-related issues, including a new reporting system and the agency’s 2015 work programme.
Scientific paper award ceremony
The four winners of the 2014 EMCDDA scientific paper award will be honoured in Lisbon on 25 November at the fourth annual award ceremony hosted by the EMCDDA (5). The winners will receive a non-monetary prize for their contributions in the margins of the third ‘Reitox week’ initiative. A news release will be available on the eve of the ceremony.
