The participation of civil society is one of the cornerstones of the European drug policy. The Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSF) is a broad platform for a structured dialogue between the European Commission and civil society that supports the formulation and implementation of drug policies through practical advice.
The CSF is made up of 45 civil society organizations representing different points of view on drug policies. Its objective is to support the formulation and implementation of drug policies at the EU level through recommendations to European institutions. Dianova International has been part of the forum since 2013 and was represented this year by Gisela Hansen.
The working groups have presented the conclusions and outcomes produced throughout these years: much emphasis has been placed on the need to keep in mind the connection between advocacy activities and the day-to-day practices of the organizations. A number of them insisted on having at all times a clear understanding of what should be sought through the advocacy actions developed by the platform and what sort of benefits or improvements one can expect from these initiatives at a grassroots level.
Having actively participated in the platform’s working groups Dianova would like to point out how useful it is to be part of a group that encourages a frank dialogue between the European Commission and civil society on such an important issue as drug policy.
