Regulation (EC) No 1920/2006 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 2 U.K. Tasks

In order to achieve the objective set out in Article 1, the Centre shall perform the following tasks within its areas of activity:

(a)

Collection and analysis of existing data

(i)

collecting, registering and analysing information, including data resulting from research, communicated by Member States and data emanating from Community, non-governmental national sources and competent international organisations, including the European Police Office (Europol); providing information on best practices in the Member States and facilitating the exchange of such practices among them; this collection, registration, analysis and information work shall also cover data on emerging trends in poly-drug use, including the combined use of licit and illicit psychoactive substances;

(ii)

carrying out surveys, preparatory studies and feasibility studies, together with any pilot projects necessary to accomplish its tasks; organising meetings of experts and, whenever necessary, setting up ad hoc working parties for the purpose; setting up and making available open scientific documentation resources and assisting in the promotion of information activities;

(iii)

providing an organisational and technical system capable of supplying information on similar or complementary programmes or action pursued by the Member States;

(iv)

establishing and coordinating, in consultation and in cooperation with the competent authorities and organisations in the Member States, the network referred to in Article 5;

(v)

facilitating exchanges of information between decision-makers, researchers, specialists and those involved in drugs-related issues in governmental and non-governmental organisations;

(b)

Improvement of data-comparison methods

(i)

ensuring improved comparability, objectivity and reliability of data at European level by establishing indicators and common criteria of a non-binding nature, compliance with which may be recommended by the Centre, with a view to ensuring greater uniformity of the measurement methods used by the Member States and the Community; in particular, the Centre shall develop tools and instruments to help Member States to monitor and evaluate their national policies and the Commission to monitor and evaluate Union policies;

(ii)

facilitating and structuring information exchange in terms of both quality and quantity (databases);

(c)

Dissemination of data

(i)

making the information produced by it available to the Community, the Member States and competent organisations;

(ii)

ensuring wide dissemination of work done in each Member State and by the Community itself, and, where appropriate, by third countries or international organisations;

(iii)

ensuring wide dissemination of reliable non-confidential data, publishing on the basis of data which it gathers, a yearly report on the state of the drugs problem, including data on emerging trends;

(d)

Cooperation with European and international bodies and organisations and with third countries

(i)

contributing to improving coordination between national and Community action in its areas of activity;

(ii)

without prejudice to Member States' obligations with regard to transmission of information under the provisions of the United Nations Conventions on drugs, promoting the incorporation of data on drugs and drug addiction gathered in the Member States or emanating from the Community into international monitoring and drug-control programmes, particularly those established by the UN and its specialised agencies;

(iii)

cooperating actively with Europol to attain maximum efficiency in monitoring the drugs problem;

(iv)

cooperating actively with the organisations and bodies referred to in Article 20;

(v)

transferring, at the request of the Commission and with the approval of the Management Board referred to in Article 9, its know-how to certain third countries such as candidate countries or the countries of the western Balkans and assist in the creation and strengthening of structural links with the network referred to in Article 5 and the setting-up and consolidation of the national focal points referred to in that Article;

(e)

Information obligations

In principle, the Centre shall, if it identifies new developments and changing trends, inform the competent authorities of the Member States thereof.