Today, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) had the pleasure to welcome Mr Bernard Quintin, Minister of Security and the Interior, in charge of Beliris (1). The focus of the visit was on public safety and security.
Mr Quintin, who has served as Minister since February 2025, was accompanied by a delegation of Belgian dignitaries, including H.E. Bart Lammens, Ambassador of Belgium to Portugal.
During the visit, the Minister received briefings on the agency’s work — following its expanded mandate in July 2024 — as well as on the latest trends in the areas of security and drug markets.
Drug-related security challenges have become an increasing concern in Europe, including in Belgium, where drug market-related violence has been on the rise. An EUDA–Europol analysis of the European cocaine market highlighted how smuggling methods, especially through seaports, have contributed to growing levels of corruption and intimidation targeting port workers and officials. In response to such developments, the first European conference on drug-related violence, co-organised by the EUDA and the European Commission in Brussels last year, issued a Call to action, outlining measures to break the cycle of this violent behaviour and build a better future.
Belgium contributes to the EUDA’s work, among others, via its Reitox national focal point (NFP), located within the Epidemiology and public health division at Sciensano, the Belgian Health Research Institute. Sciensano is the scientific reference in the field of public health and supports evidence-based policymaking through research, monitoring and expert advice. In addition to this collaboration, the EUDA maintains close working relationships with Belgian law enforcement bodies and drug laboratories, further strengthening the collective European response to drug-related threats.
