The Pompidou Group Permanent Correspondents held their 94th meeting in Naples on 30 May. It was the opportunity to review past and current activities, as well as recent political developments in the field of drug and addictions policies at national and international level. Two important policy papers, one on risks and harms related to online gaming and gambling, and the other one on aligning drug policy with human rights, prepared by the respective expert groups, were discussed.
The first policy paper, on risks and harms related to online gaming and gambling, has received preliminary approval from the Permanent Correspondents, who also took note of the expert group's report. In this connection, a new joint EU/CoE project on “Promoting mental health by addressing the risks of online gambling and gaming”, to be implemented as of 1 September 2024, was presented to the PG member states.
The second policy paper, providing "Guidance for aligning drug and addiction policies with human rights", has been the subject of thorough discussion, without reaching a final examination. It is planned to organize an additional (online) meeting in June to continue and (hopefully) finalize the discussion.
The Naples meeting offered also the opportunity to pay tribute to two senior officials of the Pompidou Group Secretariat, Thomas Kattau and Florence Mabileau, whose career in the Council of Europe is ending today.
Report "Risks and harms associated with Online gaming and gambling"