VZCZCXYZ0019
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #2758/01 3110719
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070719Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8932
INFO RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0410
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHFJUSC/US CUSTOMS SERVICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHOND/DIRONDCP WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS VIENNA 002758 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INL AND EUR/AGS (HIRONIMUS), JUSTICE FOR 
OAI, AFMLS, AND NDDS, TREASURY FOR FINCEN, DEA FOR OILS AND 
OFFICE OF DIVERSION CONTROL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER SNAR AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: 2007 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL 
STRATEGY REPORT (INCSR) 
 
REF: SECSTATE 136780 
 
¶I. Summary 
----------- 
Austria remains primarily a transit country for illicit drugs 
and does not produce any illicit substances of its own.  As 
in previous years, foreign criminal groups from former 
Soviet-bloc countries, Turkey, West Africa, and Central and 
South America, still dominate the organized drug trafficking 
scene in the country.  Austria is supplied the same way: its 
geographic location along major trans-European drug routes 
allows criminal groups to bring drugs into the country. 
Production, cultivation, and trafficking by Austrian 
nationals, however, remain insignificant.  Drug consumption 
in Austria is well below west European levels and authorities 
do not consider it to be a severe problem.  The number of 
drug users is currently estimated at around 35,000. 
 
Cooperation with U.S. authorities continued to be outstanding 
during 2007.  It was exemplified by a series of high level 
visits and led to significant seizures, frequently involving 
multiple countries, and a series of bilateral efforts. 
 
In 2007, Austria continued its efforts to intensify regional 
police cooperation, particularly with regard to the Balkans. 
Austria also continued its year-long focus on providing 
policing know-how to countries in Central Asia.  Austria is 
the seat of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime 
(UNODC) and has been a major donor for several years.  It has 
been a party to the 1971 and 1988 UN drug conventions since 
¶1997. 
 
II. Status of the Country 
------------------------- 
Despite a significant increase in drug users in Austria 
during 2007, the number of drug-related deaths increased 
slightly in 1997 and stood at 197 in October 2007. 
Authorities also confirm that the number of deaths from mixed 
intoxication continues to rise.  According to police records, 
total violations of the Austrian Narcotics Act decreased. 
The latest statistics show 24,008 charges, a decrease of 9.39 
percent from the previous year's total.  Of these charges 
1,317 involved psychotropic substances and 22,960 involved 
narcotic drugs.  About 90 percent of the charges were 
misdemeanors. 
 
Austria's National Drug Coordinator estimates the number of 
total drug abusers at around 35,000.  The number of users of 
MDMA (ecstasy) remained largely stable in 2007.  A 2006 
Interior Ministry report states that the ecstasy supply, to a 
large extent, is operated by Austrian rings.  Usage of 
amphetamines rose during the past year.  This is a 
Europe-wide trend as these substances become increasingly 
available in non-urban areas.  According to a 2005 survey 
commissioned by the Health Ministry, approximately one-fifth 
of respondents admitted to consumption of an illegal 
substance.  Most respondents cited cannabis, with ecstasy and 
amphetamines in second and third place respectively.  Among 
young adults (ages 19-29), about 30 percent admitted "some 
experience" with cannabis at least once in their lifetimes. 
According to the study, 2-4 percent of this age group had 
already used cocaine, amphetamines, and ecstasy, while 3% had 
experience with biogenetic drugs. 
 
III. Country Action Against Drugs in 2007 
----------------------------------------- 
Domestic Policy Initiatives: 
Throughout 2007, the Austrian government retained its no 
tolerance policy regarding drug traffickers while continuing 
a policy of "therapy before punishment" for non-dealing 
offenders.  The Austrian government, heeding EU initiatives 
for stricter drug policies, introduced bills calling for 
stricter measures regarding certain types of medical 
narcotics prescriptions.  According to critics, the 
controversial legislation would restrict prescriptions and 
infringe on patient privacy rights through increased 
surveillance of medical narcotics users.  Austrian 
authorities are also pushing for stricter regulations 
regarding internet trade of illegal substances. 
 
Certain types of surveillance of illegal drug behavior is 
already possible under a 2005 amendment allowing set up of 
 
cameras in high-crime public areas.  Critics argue that this 
only moves the drug scene to other areas.  The 2005 law also 
provides for the establishment of a "protection zone" around 
schools and retirement centers from which police may ban 
suspected drug dealers for up to thirty days. 
 
Regional/International Cooperation: 
During its EU presidency (January - July, 2006), Austria 
initiated the EU's "Partnership for Security," with over 
fifty countries and organizations, including the U.S. and 
Russia, as participants.  It reflects Austria's strong, 
year-long focus on the Balkans.  One element of this strategy 
is the "Police Cooperation Convention for Southeastern 
Europe," which Austria co-signed.  In May 2007, Austria 
headed the follow-up conference entitled "Drug Policing 
Balkans," where high-level officials, including Embassy 
Vienna's DEA representative, discussed drug smuggling along 
the Balkan route.  In 2007, Austria held the co-chair for the 
Balkans region within the Dublin Group's Regional Chair 
system. 
 
Austria is also a member of the Treaty of Pruem, a two-year 
old platform of eleven European countries which pledged to 
intensify cooperation in sensitive law enforcement areas such 
as DNA data sharing.  At the EU level, the GOA is also 
pushing for a European Narcotics Institute (European drug 
academy) styled along the lines of the U.S. NIDA.  Austria, 
however, remains critical of the EU Drug Action Plan saying 
that it contains no evaluation of harm reduction measures. 
 
Throughout 2007, Austria maintained its lead role within the 
Central Asian Border Security Initiative (CABSI) and the 
Vienna Initiative on Central Asia (VICA).  Austria also 
intensified efforts to cooperate with countries in the 
Balkans. 
 
Vienna is the seat of the UN's drug policing arm, the United 
Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  Austria 
contributed EUR 550,000 (USD 790,000) to this organization in 
¶2007.  In past years, Austria has been working with the 
UNODC, the EU, and Iran to establish border control 
checkpoints along the Afghan-Iranian border in order to 
prevent drug trafficking, particularly opium.  Within the 
UNODC, Austria also participates in crop monitoring and 
alternative development plans in Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, and 
Honduras.  As in past years, the Austrian Interior Ministry 
dispatched anti-crime and drug trafficking liaison officers 
to Austrian embassies in twenty counties in Europe and the 
Mediterranean.  Austria is also involved in narcotics 
cooperation programs with Ukraine, Russia, and other ACP 
countries. 
 
Law Enforcement Efforts and Accomplishments: 
Comprehensive seizure statistics for the previous year show 
an increase in seizures of cannabis, amphetamines, LSD, and 
psychotropic substances, and a decrease in ecstasy, cocaine, 
and heroin.  Experts stress that the degree of purity and 
concentration of, ecstasy, speed, and other illegal 
substances has become increasingly volatile, representing a 
growing risk factor.  This is due, in large part, to the 
advanced technology used in drug laboratories.  The labs 
combine precursors, such as acetic anhydride and potassium 
permenganate, to create illicit drugs.  The latest drug 
report from the Interior Ministry states that Austria's 
Precursor Monitoring Unit dealt with 157 cases in relation to 
precursors and clandestine drug laboratories - which is a 
hardly noticeable decrease of 4.27 percent - compared to 164 
cases in 2005.  In the year under review, two illegal drug 
laboratories were raided in Austria.  A special training 
course on dismantling drug labs was held in cooperation with 
EUROPOL. 
 
The total street value of illicit drugs remained unchanged. 
One gram of cannabis sold for EUR 7.00 (USD 10.00); one gram 
of heroin for EUR 80.00 (USD 113.00); and one gram of cocaine 
for EUR 90.00 (USD 127.00).  Amphetamines sold for EUR 20.00 
(USD 28.00) per gram, and LSD for EUR 30.00 (USD 43.00) per 
gram. 
 
Corruption: 
Austria has been a party to the OECD anti-bribery convention 
since 1999.  The GOA's public corruption laws recognize and 
 
punish the abuse of power by a public official.  An attendant 
amendment expected to become effective January 1, 2008 will 
substantially increase penalties for bribery and abuse of 
office offenses.  As of fall 2007, there were no corruption 
cases pending involving bribery of foreign public officials. 
In October 2007, a court found a senior Vienna police 
official guilty of minor bribery charges, which are not drug 
related.  All in all, the USG is not aware of the involvement 
of any high-level Austrian government officials in 
drug-related corruption.  According to the Berlin-based 
corruption watchdog Transparency International, which 
publishes an annual corruption perception index, Austria 
dropped from tenth to fifteenth place (out of 159 countries) 
in 2007.  This deterioration was mainly due to several 
banking fraud cases pending in Austria. 
 
Agreements and Treaties: 
Austria is a party to the 1988 UN drug convention, the 1961 
single convention on narcotic drugs and its 1972 protocol, 
and the 1971 UN convention on psychotropic substances. 
Vienna is the seat of the UNODC and a major donor with an 
annual pledge of USD 440,000.  Austria ratified the UN 
convention against transnational organized crime in 2004. 
 
Cultivation: 
Production of illicit drugs in Austria continued to be 
marginal in 2007.  The Interior Ministry's annual report on 
drug-related crime noted a rise in private, indoor-grown, 
high-quality cannabis.  Austria recorded no domestic 
cultivation of coca or opium in 2007. 
 
Drug Flow/Transit: 
The Interior Ministry's drug report stresses that Austria is 
not a source country for illicit drugs, but remains a transit 
country.  According to DEA's quarterly trafficking report, 
illicit drug trade by Austrian nationals is negligible. 
Foreign criminal groups (e.g. Turks, Russians, Albanians, 
Bulgarians, and citizens of the former Yugoslavia) carry out 
organized drug trafficking in Austria.  Transporting over 90 
percent of the cocaine in Austria, the Balkan route is a 
particularly problematic entrance into the country.  The 
illicit trade increasingly relies on Central and East 
European airports, including Vienna's Schwechat International 
Airport. 
 
Austrian authorities note that smuggling cocaine via luggage 
is on the decline, while body-carry and parcel shipments are 
on the rise.  A continuing trend in Austria is for South 
African narcotics smugglers to use Caucasian women from 
former Soviet-bloc countries to smuggle drugs into Austria. 
 
The trafficking of ecstasy products decreased slightly from 
previous years.  However, GOA reports a noticeable increase 
of Austria being used as a transit country for ecstasy going 
from the Netherlands to the Balkans.  Illicit trade in 
amphetamines and trading in cocaine increased.  Criminal 
groups from Poland and Hungary were primarily responsible for 
this trade. 
 
Domestic Programs: 
Austrian authorities and the public generally view drug 
addiction as a disease rather than a crime.  This is 
reflected in relatively liberal drug legislation and in court 
decisions.  The government remains committed to measures to 
prevent the social marginalization of drug addicts.  Federal 
guidelines ensure minimum quality standards for drug 
treatment facilities.  GOA's demand reduction program 
emphasizes primary prevention, drug treatment, counseling, 
and so-called "harm reduction" measures, such as needle 
exchange programs.  Ongoing challenges in demand reduction 
are the need for psychological care for drug victims and 
greater attention to older victims and immigrants. 
 
Primary intervention starts at the pre-school level and 
continues through secondary school, apprenticeship 
institutions, and out-of-school youth programs.  The 
government and local authorities routinely sponsor 
educational campaigns both within and outside of the 
classroom.  Overall, youths in danger of addiction are 
primary targets of new treatment and care policies. 
 
Austria has syringe exchange programs in place for HIV and 
 
hepatitis prevention.  Hepatitis B and C is commonplace among 
drug users at 59 percent.  Policies toward greater 
diversification in substitution treatment (methadone, 
prolonged-action morphine, and buprenorphine) continued. 
Austria currently has 8,000 people in rehabilitation 
programs.  The government, however, remains skeptical 
regarding heroin substitution programs, arguing that there 
are better solutions. 
 
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
---------------------------------------- 
Bilateral Cooperation: 
Cooperation between Austrian and U.S. authorities continued 
to be excellent in 2007.  Although Austria has no specific 
bilateral narcotics agreement with the U.S., several 
bilateral efforts exemplified this cooperation.  These 
include joint DEA and BKA (Criminal Intelligence Service) 
training; the drafting of a criminal asset sharing agreement 
between the U.S. and Austria; and DEA support of Austria's 
Drug Policing Balkans initiative.  Austrian Interior Ministry 
officials continued to consult the FBI, DEA, and DHS on how 
to update criminal investigation structures.  In September, 
FBI Director Robert Mueller held senior level talks with 
Austrian security experts during a visit to Austria.  In 
October 2007, Embassy's LEGAT Attache spoke at a gathering of 
top-level Austrian and international security experts in 
Salzburg.  Also in October 2007, Interior Minister Guenther 
Platter traveled to the U.S. to discuss, inter alia, drug 
trafficking and other forms of organized crime with USG 
experts.  The U.S. Embassy also regularly sponsors speaking 
tours of U.S. counter-narcotics experts in Austria. 
 
The Road Ahead: 
The U.S. will continue to support Austrian efforts to create 
more effective tools for law enforcement.  The U.S. will work 
closely with Austria within the framework of U.S.-EU 
initiatives, the UN, and the OSCE.  Our priority will remain 
the promotion of a better understanding of U.S. drug policy 
among Austrian officials. 
McCaw