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SIS: Belgium to log drug users

01 January 1995

Drug users, suspected drug users, and their partners and acquaintances are to be put on the Schengen Information System (SIS) by the Belgian police. Moreover, the Belgian police could request that people recorded on their National SIS (NSIS) be placed under surveillance and their movements and contacts logged by another Schengen state, for example the Netherlands. This information was given to the Belgian parliament by Interior Minister Johan Vande Lanotte in reply to a series of questions from Green MP Van Dienderen.

"Drug use" has been put on the list of 30 "serious" crimes in the national SIRENE manual drawn up by the Belgian Gendarmerie (Rijkswacht). No distinction is made between the use of "soft" and "hard" drugs and both are placed alongside crimes such as murder, terrorism, kidnapping and arson. The Minister's reply refers to Article 99 Section 2 of the Schengen Agreement covering the SIS which says a person can be targeted for "unobtrusive or directed surveillance" with the aim of preventing crime or avoiding any danger to public safety. The Belgian SIRENE handbook's description of what constitutes a "serious crime" includes those "with severe physical, material and/or moral consequences".

Neighbouring Netherlands treats "soft" drug use differently. Its Justice Ministry has suggested the use of marijuana should be decriminalised. However, the operation of the SIS under the Schengen Agreement will require the amendment of the Dutch national SIRENE manual to allow for the surveillance of Belgian nationals in the Netherlands for drug use. Similar requests for the surveillance of drug users could be made by Belgium to any other of the nine Schengen countries.

Belgian parliament, written answer.