Suchttherapie 2009; 10 - S211
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1240284

The New EMCDDA Standard Table on Public Expenditure: a step forward in quantifying drug-related costs in Europe

L Prieto 1, S Flöter 2
  • 1Europäische Beobachtungsstelle für Drogen und Drogensucht - EBDD, Lissabon, Portugal
  • 2IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, München

Aims: The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) is a fundamental source of information on illegal drugs in Europe. The EMCDDA coordinates an information and exchange network in the 27 EU Member States, Norway, the European Commission and the candidate countries, called REITOX, the European Information Network on Drugs and Drug Addiction. Amongst other instruments, the EMCDDA and REITOX utilize standardised data collection forms (Standard Tables) to gather comparable information across countries. In response to the European Union Drugs Action Plan 2005–2008, a new Standard Table (STPE) has been developed to be used as regular monitoring tool of drug-related public expenditure in Europe.

Method: Public expenditure is defined as the particular set of transactions related to illegal drugs undertaken by units in the general government (i.e. central, state, and local government, and social security funds). The new STPE contains 10 variables that will allow to report a detailed account of drug-related public expenditure in a given year. The Classification of Functions of Government (COFOG) is used to examine the structure of government expenditure. REITOX points are requested to record all drug-related labelled public expenditures identifiable in their country, and any drug-related non-labelled public expenditure (i.e. expenditure embedded in programmes with broader goals) that can be estimated with the current available information.

Results: The new STPE is the standard tool that REITOX will use to gather public expenditure information in Europe in the 2009 reporting exercise to the EMCDDA.

Conclusion: After the 2009 reporting exercise, work must continue in order to build upon and enhance the data available and to complete and refine figures on public expenditure. The twofold methodology proposed and implemented by the EMCDDA, although in its infancy, has proven to be feasible and scientifically robust.