The future of drug policy: What’s next?

A leading psychiatrist and professor at the University of Antwerp, Geert Dom has over 30 years of experience in addiction care. He is also the chairman of the European Psychiatric Association and a prominent voice in European drug policy reform.

Steven Debbaut is a postdoctoral researcher in criminology at the VUB. His research interests and work include drug policy, drug law enforcement and police legitimacy. He is also founding member and spokesman of the expert movement SMART on Drugs, which advocates for regulation and a more evidence-based drug policy. He started his career as a drug counsellor at De Sleutel.

Mr Goosdeel joined the EMCDDA (current EUDA) in 1999 as a project manager in the area of EU enlargement and international relations. From 2005, he headed the agency's Reitox and international cooperation unit. In this capacity, he played a central role in coordinating a network of 30 national drug monitoring centres; preparing EU candidate and potential candidate countries for membership of the EMCDDA; developing cooperation with neighbouring countries to the EU; and nurturing relations with countries beyond the Union (Central Asia, Russia, Latin America). Much of his 30-year career is working in health at the national, European, and international level. Before to join the EMCDDA in 1999, Mr Goosdeel worked at the Catholic University of Louvain and the University Cliniques St-Luc in Brussels. He was one of Modus Vivendi's founding members, a Belgian NGO responsible for developing harm reduction programmes, and has 14 years of clinical practice as a psychoanalyst and family therapist. He holds a Master's degree in clinical psychology from Université Catholique de Louvain and a diploma in advanced management from ICHEC Brussels Management School. He is proficient in six languages and was born on 7 November 1959 in Brussels.

As the Chief of Police for Bruxelles Midi, Jurgen de Landsheer offers a law enforcement perspective on the challenges and realities of current drug policies in Belgium.

Ine Van Wymersch is a trained jurist and has been part of the judiciary since 2009. She served as Deputy and First Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office, handling youth cases, sexual offenses, and disappearances. Known for her motto "no comment is not an option," she advocated for transparent and accessible justice, notably during the aftermath of the March 22, 2016 terrorist attacks. In March 2019, Ine became the Public Prosecutor of Halle-Vilvoorde, where she implemented impactful policies, such as revoking driving licenses for mobile phone use while driving, to enhance road safety. Her work on the security plan for Brussels Airport garnered federal recognition. Currently, she serves as Belgium's first National Drug Commissioner, addressing complex challenges with her team.

A respected journalist and criminologist, Fatma Taspinar is known for her deep dives into justice-related issues in Belgium. She is currently a news presenter for Eén and has moderated various high-profile discussions. With a background in criminology and journalism, Fatma brings a nuanced perspective to the conversation on drug policy.