An overview of the data
The tables in this section monitor over time the numbers of ‘reports’ of drug law offences for each country that provided data. Tables include data from the EU Member States, Croatia, Turkey and Norway.
Summary points
- On the basis of the data provided by 21 Member States, representing 95 % of the population aged 15–64 in the European Union, the number of reported drug law offences increased by an estimated 21 % between 2004 and 2009 (see Figure DLO-1). The data reveal increasing trends in 18 reporting and a stabilization or an overall decline in eleven countries over the five-year period. See Table DLO-1 which gives, by country, a historical perspective of the development of the number of ‘reports’ for drug law offences between the years 1995 to 2009 (Table DLO-1 part (i) for the number of offences and Table DLO-1 part (ii) for the number of persons/cases). See also Table DLO-109 over a longer period (1985–2009).
- In most European countries, the majority of reported offences were related to drug use or possession for use, , with Estonia, Spain, France, Hungary, Austria and Sweden reporting the highest proportions (81–94%), See Table DLO-2 and Figure DLO-2, which gives for 2009 by country the percentage of offence type categorised by use, supply, or both use and supply.
- Overall, the number of drug law offences related to use increased by an estimated 29 % between 2004 and 2009 in the European Union (see Figure DLO-1). Fifteen reporting countries show an upward trend between 2004 and 2009 in the number of drug law offences related to use and only six countries (Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Malta, Austria and Norway) show a decline across the period. Cocaine use related offences had the largest increase with an estimated 39 % but showinegd a levelling- off in the last two years (see Figure DLO-4). It is also worth noting that, as a proportion of all drug law offences, cocaine use-related offences increased in 11 of the reporting countries during this period (see Table DLO-4 while Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Austria and Croatia reported decreasing trends.which gives, by country, the medium-term historical changes in the number of drug law offences that are related to use or possession for use and their proportion among all drug law offences.
- Offences related to the supply of drugs have remained stable since 2007, although they show an overall increase during the period 2004–09 of about 7% in the European Union. (see Figure DLO-1). Over this period, 15 countries report an increase in supply-related offences, while three countries report an overall decline. . See Table DLO-5 which gives, by country, the medium-term historical changes in the number of drug law offences that are related to supply and their proportion among all drug law offences.
- In most European countries cannabis continued to be the illicit drug most often involved in reported drug law offences. See Table DLO-3 for a breakdown by substance of all reports for drug law offences, by country, in 2009.
- In the five-year period 2004-2009, the number of drug law offences involving cannabis increased in most reporting countries, resulting in an estimated increase of 20 % in the European Union (see Figure DLO-3). See Table DLO-6 which gives, by country, the medium-term historical changes in the number of drug law offences that are related to cannabis and their proportion among all drug law offences.
- The downward trend in heroin-related offences in the European Union has been recently reverted and an increase of approximately 22 % has been observed for the period 2004-2009 (see Figure DLO-3). National trends have been diverging and the new upward trend is mainly due to increases during the last three years. The number of heroin-related offences has increased in 11 reporting countries, while a decline was reported in Bulgaria, Germany, Malta, the Netherlands and Austria over the same period. See Table DLO-7 which gives, by country, the medium-term historical changes in the number of drug law offences that are related to heroin and their proportion among all drug law offences.
- Cocaine-related offences increased over the period 2004-2009 in most reporting countries. The overall increase in the EU was approximately 39 % over the same period (see Figure DLO-3). See Table DLO-8 which gives, by country, the medium-term historical changes in the number of drug law offences that are related to cocaine and their proportion among all drug law offences.
- While the EU trend for amphetamine-related offences remained upward, with an estimated increase of 16 %, between 2004-2009 (see Figure DLO-3), the trend in offences for ecstasy showed a decrease of an estimated 54 % over the same period.