More Europe!

Despite their widespread reputation as cut-throat wheelers and dealers (literally) it seems South American drug cartels do have a sense of humour. On September 11th 1.3 tons of pure cocaine were confiscated in Paris from an in-bound Air France flight originating from Caracas. Hoping their miscreant criminal cousins would keep airport security busy on that particular day, unknown passengers checked 31 unlabeled suitcases filled with nothing but Venezuelan snow to the French capital.

The French Interior Ministry labeled the police investigation a success not only for France but for Europe as well as French judicial police collaborated with Spanish, British and Dutch counterparts. In a press conference in the Paris suburb a spokesperson said, "Thanks to More Europe! there is now less cocaine within Europe's borders."

Despite this victory, internal discussions at the European Union level have garnered conflicting reactions. Speaking on the condition of anonymity one Commission official called the confiscation a "missed opportunity" for Europe "given the fact that once in the single market the product would have been able to flow freely across 28 countries, the EU could have really seen a boost in growth in certain areas."

The total amount confiscated was worth nearly $270 million, which at retail mark-up more than 100% of wholesale price could have made a real impact on the European economy. As one Professor at the London School of Economics put it, "We're not talking about a simple loss of merchandise. Just think about the trickle down economics in this case. Europe's lost a real opportunity with this one."

Currently, there is talk of EU Ministers reviewing JHA policies and their impact on jobs and growth at the next Council meeting but nothing has officially been penciled into the agenda.