Pubdate: Tue, 22 Aug 2000
Source: Reuters
Copyright: 2000 Reuters Limited.

EU DENIES SLIP LEGALIZED DUTCH-MADE ECSTASY PILLS

BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) - A "printing error" that left a precursor of 
ecstasy off Dutch-language versions of an EU law against hard drugs did not 
mean it was legal to produce it in the Netherlands, the European Commission 
says.

In a written answer to a question from Dutch member of the European 
Parliament Jan-Kees Wiebenga, the Commission said the chemical, known as 
PMK, had been banned since 1992. It denied that the printing error meant 
ecstasy had effectively been legal since the mistake was made in 1993.

The Commission said Monday, however, it would print a correction.

The mistake was embarrassing because the Netherlands is held responsible 
for much of Europe's ecstasy production. According to a recent World 
Customs Organization report, nearly four million ecstasy pills were seized 
in Europe in 1999, more than double the number found in 1998. The 
Netherlands was the origin of half of all shipments seized around the 
world, it said.
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