Cocaine adds life to European Parliament

Traces of cocaine have turned up in 41 of 46 toilets in the Brussels European Parliament - including conveniences next to the assembly’s plenary chamber.

Analysis revealed that in one toilet, the concentration was so high that scientists concluded that the drug must have been taken there just before the sample was taken.

Pharmacologist Professor Fritz Sorgel from the Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research in Nuremberg (IBMP) analysed the samples taken by a German TV channel.

"Some of the quantities found there would have caused a police drug dog to respond," he said.

But the results may also reveal MEPs to be no more dope fiends than the rest of society.

“I’m sure a systematic control would unveil cocaine everywhere," said Sorgel.

"Therefore I’m not at all surprised cocaine has been found in the European Parliament."

Ulrich Meyer, producer of the programme called DOCUMENT 05, broadcast on Thursday, said it was impossible to speculate whether the culprits were MEPs, staff or people from outside.

"We must realise that the European parliament is an accessible a building open to everyone. We do not want to point therefore to certain people or professions with the finger," he said.

"It shows however that the cocaine consumption is a total social problem. And that it is larger than many politicians want to admit."

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