EU leaders are set to discuss tougher action against organised crime at their summit in Brussels next week, as cocaine becomes more available across Europe and domestic drug production continues to grow.

Drug trafficking has two sides: an external one, with drugs entering Europe through global trafficking routes, and an internal one, with more production taking place inside Europe itself.

A report published by the EU drugs agency on Tuesday paints an “alarming picture” of Europe’s drug market, Magnus Brunner, the internal affairs commissioner, said.

On the external front, the EU wants to go after criminal networks along the whole supply chain: from production countries, through transit routes, to European markets.

A large share of cocaine enters Europe by sea, making ports a key vulnerability.

“Criminals are moving from larger ports to smaller ones. That’s why we now need to focus on smaller ports,” Brunner said.

The EU is also stepping up cooperation with partner countries, especially in Latin America, where much of the cocaine entering Europe is produced.

Brunner added, however, that Europe needs partners beyond the region, too, including the United States. “Drug trafficking is a global business, so our response has to be global too.”

The picture inside Europe is equally concerning. Around 2.5 million young adults used cocaine last year, while production within Europe is also rising, according to the report.

The market is increasingly sophisticated, Brunner said, with encrypted communications, international logistics networks and significant financial resources.

Next week’s summit is expected to all for tougher action on both fronts – reducing demand within Europe while disrupting the transnational criminal networks supplying the market.

(cs)