Here is what EU citizens spend at least 24 billion euros annually on

The report, which is just under 200 pages long, provides a comprehensive analysis of the illegal drug market in the EU, from production to trade, distribution, and consumption, as well as the costs that this activity imposes on the business sector, government institutions, families, individuals, and the environment.

The most profitable activity of organized crime is drug trafficking, on which citizens of the European Union spend at least 24 billion euros annually, according to a report jointly published by Europol, the European police agency, and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

The report, which is just under 200 pages long, provides a comprehensive analysis of the illegal drug market in the EU, from production to trade, distribution, and consumption, as well as the costs that this activity imposes on the business sector, government institutions, families, individuals, and the environment.

– Illegal production and drug trafficking remain one of the largest and most innovative criminal markets in Europe. As it becomes increasingly complex and intertwined with other forms of crime, even terrorism, it poses a major threat to the internal security of the EU, emphasizes Europol Director Rob Wainwright, adding that cooperation between member states is essential in addressing this issue.

As the media reports, there are three main conclusions from the extensive report: strengthening the links between drug trafficking and other forms of crime; rapid changes in drug markets due to globalization and technological advancements – criminal groups quickly seize the opportunities provided by easier access to information, the internet, and the increase in international trade; and the geographical concentration of drug-specialized criminal groups within the EU and elsewhere – alongside existing areas, new ones are emerging, such as heroin trafficking through the South Caucasus.

The report states that the EU Drug Strategy for the period 2013-2020 and the Action Plan (2013-2016) provide a framework for addressing the issue of illegal drugs in the EU in conjunction with the national strategies of member states. The ultimate goal is to significantly reduce the availability of illegal drugs through disrupting trafficking, dismantling criminal groups, more effective use of the judicial system, better cooperation of intelligence services, and placing greater emphasis on cross-border organized crime related to drugs.

Cannabis is the most widespread drug in Europe, accounting for an estimated 38 percent of the retail drug market, generating over 9.3 billion euros annually, the media reports. About 22 million adult Europeans used cannabis last year, and about 1 percent of adults in the EU consume it daily. Most of the cannabis on the market is produced in Europe, with increasing imports from Morocco.

In second place is heroin, which generates about 6.8 billion euros annually. Heroin is responsible for the deaths of a large number of addicts. Opium is mainly produced in Afghanistan, and the Balkan route remains the main corridor for heroin entering the EU, although new routes are emerging from Africa, the South Caucasus, Syria, and Iraq.

Cocaine ranks third, with the retail market generating about 5.7 billion euros. Colombian and Italian criminal groups are the main suppliers in Europe.