The EU and CELAC (association of Latin American and Caribbean states) have been holding an annual ‘high level dialogue’ on drugs since 2007. A chapter in the inter regional dialogue is dedicated to drugs, and the EU is committed to exchanging viewpoints with so called producer and transit countries by subscribing to the principle of ‘shared responsibility’, (meaning that drug consuming countries acknowledge their part in generating drug production). The sharp rise in European cocaine consumption over the past ten years has added to the policy relevance of this forum. The high level meeting on 11-12 of February at Montevideo, Uruguay produced the Montevideo declaration and prepared the way for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs in 2016.
