The European Commission announced on the 24th the launch of the European Ports Union to develop solutions to protect ports from drug trafficking and criminal infiltration, and to combat organized crime and drug trafficking. According to a report released by the European Commission, the European Ports Union is jointly initiated by the European Commission, the rotating presidency of Belgium, EU member states, port authorities, European associations, EU institutions, and representatives of customs and law enforcement agencies. It is a follow-up to the EU's road map to combat drug trafficking and organized crime, which was adopted in October last year. The goal of the alliance is to mobilize member country customs to combat drug smuggling, strengthen port law enforcement actions, and establish public-private partnerships to help combat drug trafficking. It is reported that ports contribute 75% of the EU's foreign trade volume and 31% of the EU's internal trade volume, making them highly susceptible to the impact of drug smuggling and the exploitation of high-risk criminal networks. Criminals use containers containing illegal goods such as drugs organized by port organizations to enter the EU, posing a significant security threat to the EU. Criminal networks use extreme violence, corruption, and intimidation to profit. According to data from the European Commission, cocaine seizures in the EU have reached a historic high in recent years, exceeding 300 tons annually. In 2023, a record breaking 121 tons of cocaine were seized in the port of Antwerp Bruges, Belgium alone, an increase of 10% from the previous year. (Reporter Fu Yiming) (Lai Xinshe)