Programa COPOLAD III

What Programa COPOLAD III does

COPOLAD III (Programa de Cooperación entre América Latina, el Caribe y la Unión Europea en Políticas sobre Drogas) is the third phase of a European Union-funded interregional cooperation program on drug policy, operating from 2021 to late 2025/early 2026. It is managed as a consortium led by the Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP, headquartered in Madrid, Spain), with the Organización Internacional Ítalo-latinoamericana (IILA) as a co-leader and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ, on behalf of BMZ) as a technical partner focused on alternative development. The program engages national drug agencies, public prosecutor offices, national drug observatories, financial intelligence units, national police forces, and civil society organizations across 42 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the European Union.

COPOLAD III delivers capacity-building services free of charge to all participants, including thematic training courses, webinars, working group facilitation, bilateral technical missions, and annual conferences (e.g., the Brussels EU-CELAC high-level meeting). Its substantive outputs include diagnostic studies, guidelines, and training manuals — for example, a financial investigations manual approved by CFATF/GAFIC heads (March 2025), prosecution guidelines on the environmental impacts of drug trafficking developed with AIAMP (December 2025), and a Spanish-language adaptation of the European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC) delivered with EUDA (July 2024). It operates 14 community-care pilots in high-vulnerability contexts and social innovation labs in Peru, Chile, and Colombia. The program does not develop proprietary software or technology products; its intellectual property is a content library of frameworks, studies, and approved protocols hosted on the copolad.eu portal.

COPOLAD III is 100% funded by the European Commission through a grant agreement administered by FIIAPP, with no commercial revenue, no pricing model, and no equity ownership. The financial benchmark is COPOLAD II (2015–2020), which had a €10 million European Commission budget. The program's official website is scheduled to be frozen in December 2025, indicating the planned conclusion of the current phase without a disclosed successor program.

Name

Programa COPOLAD III

Legal name

Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas, F.S.P.

Website

https://copolad.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COPOLAD III is an EU-funded interregional cooperation program, led by Spanish foundation FIIAPP with IILA and GIZ, that delivers free drug policy capacity building, training, and methodological guidance to government agencies across 42 Latin American, Caribbean, and EU countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Cooperation (Drug Policy)

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), Public Administration (92)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Health, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM)

Keywords

• Drug policy cooperation
• Capacity building programs
• Technical assistance services
• Policy training and exchange
• Interregional development cooperation

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EU Grant Funding: COPOLAD III is 100% funded by the European Commission through a grant agreement. The budget is administered by Spain (FIIAPP) over the program's duration. COPOLAD II (2015–2020) had a budget of 10 million euros. No commercial revenue is generated — all activities (training, technical assistance, studies, exchanges) are provided free of charge to participating countries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

COPOLAD III is a European Union-funded technical cooperation program that strengthens drug policy capacity across 42+ countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the EU. It delivers training and exchange programs, diagnostic studies, prosecution and investigation guidelines, working groups, and social innovation labs, with all services provided free of charge to participating government agencies, prosecutor offices, financial intelligence units, and civil society organizations.

Product overview

COPOLAD III is a cooperation program between Latin America, the Caribbean, and the European Union on drug policies, managed by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) and IILA. The program offers a portfolio of products and services including: training and exchange programs (Formación e Intercambio) with courses, webinars, and workshops; research publications (Estudios) covering environmental impact, gender perspectives, and policy evaluations; guidelines (Guías) for prosecutors and law enforcement; a knowledge library (Biblioteca); a directory of centers and services; working groups (Grupos de trabajo) on various drug policy topics; and annual meetings (Encuentros COPOLAD). The program also produces specialized publications like the Guide on Financial Investigations and the Environmental Impact study, and runs social innovation labs in select countries. COPOLAD III does not operate as a traditional product company but rather as a technical cooperation program funded by the European Union.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Training and Exchange Program (Formación e Intercambio) A core training and exchange program that delivers courses, webinars, workshops, and capacity building activities for drug policy professionals across Latin America, the Caribbean, and the EU. It is provided free of charge to government institutions and includes specialization courses on precursor chemical control, financial investigations, cryptocurrency analysis, and special investigation techniques.
• Research Studies (Estudios) Research publications and studies on drug policies covering topics such as environmental impact of drug trafficking, gender perspectives, harm reduction strategies, and policy evaluations for Latin American and Caribbean countries. Available free of charge to government institutions and partner organizations.
• Guidelines and Best Practice Documents (Guías) Guidelines and best practice documents developed to support prosecutors, law enforcement, and policymakers in addressing drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, and gender-related issues. Provided free of charge to AIAMP member prosecutor offices and other government beneficiaries.
• Guide on Financial Investigations and Analysis of Emerging Money Laundering Risks A comprehensive training manual covering cryptocurrency misuse and money laundering investigations, formally approved by CFATF/GAFIC Heads of Financial Intelligence Units. Authored by Federico Paesano for COPOLAD III, it targets financial intelligence analysts in the Caribbean region.
• Diagnostic Study on Drug Trafficking and Environmental Impact with Criminal Prosecution Guidelines A diagnostic study and set of criminal prosecution guidelines developed jointly with AIAMP to support Iberoamerican prosecutors in addressing drug trafficking and related environmental crimes. Approved by the Network of Anti-Drug Prosecutors of Iberoamerica.
• Specialization Courses (Cursos de especialización) Advanced training courses on topics including precursor chemical control, financial investigations, cryptocurrency analysis, and special investigation techniques. Delivered to law enforcement, financial intelligence analysts, and prosecutor offices free of charge.
• Social Innovation Labs (Laboratorios de innovación social) Social innovation labs operating in Peru, Chile, and Colombia that develop drug policy solutions for community protection, youth alternatives to micro-trafficking, and early warning systems for human rights violations. Targets civil society organizations and indigenous communities in drug-affected territories.
• European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC) Training Program in Spanish An online training program adapting the European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC) for the Latin American and Caribbean context, co-organized with EUDA. Aimed at prevention professionals and substance use decision-makers across the region.
• Community Service and Territorialization Guides Guides developed by COPOLAD III on community services and territorial approaches to vulnerabilities associated with drug use, supporting 14 community care pilots in high-impact contexts across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 community service pilots implemented in Latin America and the Caribbean for drug-affected populations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered key regional partner, core consortium — joint leadership, core consortium — technical partner, collaborating institution, flagship thematic partner, flagship regional partner, technical contributing partner and supporting technical partner.

• GAFIC/CFATF (Grupo de Acción Financiera del Caribe / Caribbean Financial Action Task Force)key regional partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024GAFIC collaborated with COPOLAD III to deliver a series of training workshops on Financial Investigations and Emerging Money Laundering Risks (February–March 2024). COPOLAD developed a training manual on cryptocurrency use in money laundering, formally approved by the GAFIC Financial Intelligence Unit heads. GAFIC's 59th Plenary was attended by COPOLAD in Negril, Jamaica.
• FIIAPP (Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas)core consortium — joint leadershipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFIIAPP is the managing entity of the COPOLAD consortium. As a Spanish public foundation, FIIAPP administers the European Commission grant and coordinates the overall program implementation, including administrative management, institutional relations with EU and Latin American/Caribbean governments, and day-to-day operations of COPOLAD activities across all work areas.
• IILA (Organización Internacional Ítalo-latinoamericana)core consortium — joint leadershipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIILA is a co-leader of the COPOLAD consortium alongside FIIAPP. As an intergovernmental organization, IILA contributes to the program's strategic direction, particularly in coordinating with Italian and other European institutions, and in facilitating cooperation with Latin American member states on drug policy issues.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH)core consortium — technical partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGIZ operates as a technical partner within the COPOLAD consortium, responsible for the Alternative Development component. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ organizes dialogue forums and provides expertise on sustainable rural development, environmental conservation, agroforestry, reforestation, and ecotourism as alternatives to illicit crop cultivation. GIZ also conducts technical assistance missions on Development Alternative in protected natural areas.
• EUDA (European Union Drugs Agency)collaborating institutionStrategic or Co-development PartnerEUDA collaborates with COPOLAD III on prevention training, adapting the European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC) to the Latin American and Caribbean context. EUDA organizes and co-brands webinars and training programs delivered through the COPOLAD platform, contributing technical expertise on evidence-based drug prevention methodologies.
• EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction)collaborating institutionStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMCDDA is a key institutional partner supporting COPOLAD's work on National Drug Observatories. It co-organizes annual observatory meetings, provides methodological guidance on trendspotter research, and facilitates knowledge exchange between European and Latin American/Caribbean drug monitoring systems through the REITOX network.
• CICAD/OEA (Comisión Interamericana para el Control del Abuso de Drogas / Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission)collaborating institutionStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICAD/OEA is a major institutional partner, providing the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) as a platform for regional drug monitoring. CICAD co-organizes annual observatory meetings with COPOLAD and supports capacity building for national drug observatories across Latin America and the Caribbean.
• AIAMP (Asociación Iberoamericana de Ministerios Públicos)flagship thematic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIAMP is a flagship strategic partner of COPOLAD III. Through its three specialized networks — REDTRAM (anti-trafficking), RFAI (anti-drug prosecutors), and REG (gender) — AIAMP coordinates regional initiatives on prosecutor training, gender-sensitive criminal justice, human trafficking linked to drug trafficking, undercover agent protocols, and environmental crimes. Joint outputs include approved prosecution guidelines and diagnostic reports.
• CELAC (Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños)flagship regional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCELAC is the primary regional counterpart for the EU-CELAC drug policy dialogue facilitated by COPOLAD. The program serves as the operational mechanism for the EU-CELAC cooperation on drug policies, convening 42 national drug agencies for high-level political dialogue and technical cooperation activities.
• GAFILAT (Grupo de Acción Financiera de Latinoamérica)key regional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAFILAT and COPOLAD III combine efforts to strengthen intelligence against drug trafficking and money laundering. GAFILAT represents 18 Latin American countries in financial intelligence coordination. The partnership focuses on training, methodology exchange, and capacity building for financial investigations and asset forfeiture linked to drug crimes.
• UIFE México (Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera de México)technical contributing partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexico's Financial Intelligence Unit contributed expertise to the COPOLAD training program on suspicious transactions and analysis techniques for Latin American and Caribbean financial investigators, supporting capacity building in anti-money laundering linked to drug trafficking.
• UAFE Ecuador (Unidad de Análisis Financiero y Económico de Ecuador)technical contributing partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcuador's Financial Analysis Unit (UAFE) co-supported the COPOLAD training program on suspicious transactions and financial analysis techniques, contributing to the program's capacity-building efforts for investigators across Latin America and the Caribbean.
• REITOX (Red Europea de Información sobre Drogas y Toxicomanías)supporting technical partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerREITOX is the European drug information network coordinated by EMCDDA, involving all EU member states. COPOLAD works in close coordination with REITOX for organizing annual observatory meetings and facilitating methodological exchanges between European and Latin American/Caribbean drug monitoring professionals.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AIAMP (Asociación Iberoamericana de Ministerios Públicos): Iberoamerican association of public prosecutor offices, including anti-drug, anti-trafficking, and gender networks. Closely comparable in cross-border prosecutor coordination, joint protocols, and training — and COPOLAD III's flagship thematic partner.
• EUROFRONT: EU-funded cooperation program on integrated border management between the EU, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Shares COPOLAD's EU–LAC cooperation mandate, donor (EU), training/technical assistance model, and consortium delivery structure.
• CICAD (Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission): OAS body responsible for drug policy coordination across the Americas, including the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs. Comparable mandate in hemispheric drug policy coordination and observatory capacity building, and a COPOLAD III partner.
• EL PAcCTO (Europe-Latin America Programme of Assistance against Transnational Organized Crime): EU-funded cooperation program between the EU and Latin America focused on fighting organized crime, including drug trafficking. Closely comparable model: EU grant funding, multi-country consortium, technical assistance, training, and institutional capacity building.
• EUDA (European Union Drugs Agency, formerly EMCDDA): EU agency providing evidence-based drug monitoring, prevention curricula, and capacity building to EU member states. Directly comparable function in drugs policy, prevention training, and observatory work, and an active COPOLAD III collaborating partner.
• EUROsociAL+: EU-funded regional cooperation program between the EU and Latin America covering social policy and public administration. Comparable structure: EU grant, consortium implementation, government capacity building, and policy dialogue across LAC countries.
• ADELANTE (EU–LAC Cooperation Programme): EU-funded cooperation program supporting policy dialogue between the EU and Latin America/Caribbean on economic and social issues. Comparable structure: EU grant, consortium implementation, training, and policy dialogue across LAC and EU member states.

Broad incumbents

• UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime): Global UN entity leading international drug and crime policy. Broader mandate but directly comparable function in drug policy standards, capacity building, and cross-border cooperation, frequently overlapping with COPOLAD's thematic areas.

Emerging players

• GAFILAT (Grupo de Acción Financiera de Latinoamérica): Latin American FATF-style body coordinating anti-money-laundering efforts across 18 LAC countries. Directly comparable in its FIU training, financial investigation methodology, and cross-border cooperation focus, and an active COPOLAD III partner.
• CFATF / GAFIC (Caribbean Financial Action Task Force): Caribbean regional body coordinating anti-money-laundering policy and financial intelligence. Directly comparable in financial investigation training, FIU coordination, and Caribbean regional engagement, and an active COPOLAD III partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/programacopolad

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Programa COPOLAD III