U.S. Department of State
1996 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, March 1997
United States Department of State
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
BELGIUM
I. Summary
Belgium is a transit country for illicit drugs bound for other markets in
Europe. Narcotics traffickers exploit Belgium's large port facilities,
transportation infrastructure, and central location in Western Europe.
Belgium is not a significant producer of illicit drugs for precursor and
essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics. Belgium is a
party to the 1988 UN Convention.
II. Status of Country
Belgian authorities estimate that there are between 10,000 and 20,000 heroin
addicts. A survey published in 1996 by the European Monitoring Centre in
Lisbon indicated that over 5 percent of all adults in Belgium have used
cannabis products. There are no statistics on cocaine and synthetic drug use;
however, GOB authorities believe the use of ecstasy and LSD is increasing.
Belgian has intensified its efforts to control money laundering. During the
twelve-month period ending June 30, 1996, financial institutions reported to
the authorities 4,436 suspicious transactions with a total value of
approximately $1.1 billion. During this period, 187 cases of alleged money
laundering were referred to prosecutors. About 69 percent of money laundering
cases in Belgium are linked to illegal drug trafficking.
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1996
Policy Initiatives. The Belgian Ministry of Justice maintains drug
liaison offices in ten foreign cities with territorial competence for
thirty-one countries. The Ministry of Justice has drafted legislation for
Belgian ratification of Europol (European Police Organization) and it expects
full parliamentary approval for the treaty before the end of 1997.
The Belgian Senate plans to ratify in early 1997 a new law governing seizure
and confiscation of illegal proceeds based on judicial requests from foreign
governments. This law is designed to facilitate provisions of the 1988 UN
Convention.
Accomplishments. Responding to new trends in money laundering, the Belgian
Council of Ministers adopted an action plan against organized crime that
endorses a broader definition of money laundering to cover other professions
and activities, including notaries, financial advisors, accountants, real
estate agents, and casinos.
The GOB entered into bilateral police narcotics cooperation agreements with
Hungary, Poland and Romania.
Law Enforcement Efforts. Belgian law enforcement authorities vigorously
investigate individuals and organizations involved in illegal narcotics
trafficking into and through Belgium. Authorities closed two ecstasy labs in
1996. During the first three quarters of the year, they seized more than
150,000 ecstasy tablets, 13,500 doses of LSD, 11 kgs of heroin, approximately
595 kgs of cocaine, and more than 84,000 kgs of cannabis. They arrested more
than 245 persons in connection with these seizures.
Corruption. Drug-related corruption among public officials is not
considered to be a problem in Belgium. Belgium has effective laws to combat
and punish corruption.
Agreements and Treaties. Belgium ratified the 1988 UN Convention in 1995
and fully meets the Convention's goals and objectives. The US and Belgium
have long had an extradition treaty. An updated treaty was ratified by
Belgium in 1988 and by the USG in November. They will exchange instruments of
ratification in Washington early in 1997. A mutual legal assistance treaty
(MLAT), signed in 1988 and ratified by the USG in 1989, is scheduled to be
reviewed by the Belgian Parliament early in 1997.
Belgium is a member of several international antidrug organizations, including
the Heads of European Narcotics Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA), the Dublin
Group, and the European Committee to Combat Drugs (CELAD). Belgium is a major
donor to the UNDCP. Most Belgian aid is channeled through the UNDCP for
alternative development programs in Bolivia and Vietnam. Belgium is a member
of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and will chair the organization's
ninth session (1997-1998). Belgium has implemented the EU Directive on Money
Laundering and participates in the Contact Committee established by the
Directive.
Cultivation/Production. There is no significant cultivation or production
of illicit drugs in Belgium.
Drug Flow/Transit. Belgium is an important transit point for drug
traffickers because of its port facilities, airports, and excellent road
connections to neighboring European countries. Most illicit drugs pass
through Belgium via the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, across the border from
the Netherlands or, to a lesser degree, through Brussels' Zaventem airport.
Smuggling routes change constantly, but Belgian authorities believe drug
shipments arrive from Asia and the Middle East through Eastern Europe and the
former Soviet Republics.
Demand Reduction/Domestic Programs. Belgium has an active antidrug
educational program which targets the country's youth.
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs
Bilateral Cooperation. Cooperation between the USG and Belgium is
excellent. In December, senior USG and GOB officials completed the first of a
planned series of annual bilateral consultations to improve judicial
cooperation involving letters rogatory, controlled deliveries and extradition
cases.
Belgium participates in an informal forum for cooperation on money laundering
issues known as the Egmont Group, which held its inaugural meeting in June
1995 at the Egmont Palace in Brussels under the sponsorship of the US
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and Belgium's Financial
Intelligence Processing Unit (CTIF/CFI). Belgium chairs the Egmont legal
working group, which drafted a model memorandum of understanding on
international cooperation on money laundering issues.
The Road Ahead. The USG looks forward to continued close cooperation with
Belgium on drug-related issues and to continued Belgian participation in
multilateral counternarcotics fora such as the Dublin Group and the UNDCP.
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