About Us – Encod – European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies

European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD)

ENCOD brings together governance, expertise, and legacy through its Executive Committee, Inner Circle, and In Memoriam, ensuring strategic direction, policy insight, and continuity shaped by lasting contributions.

Collaboration

Working across borders and disciplines, diverse expertise comes together to strengthen shared goals and create meaningful impact.

Integrity

Transparency and responsibility guide every step, ensuring work is grounded in trust, accuracy, and strong ethical standards.

Impact

Focused on real-world outcomes, knowledge and advocacy are translated into measurable and lasting change.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is responsible for ENCOD’s strategic direction, governance, financial oversight, and institutional representation. Its members bring long-standing experience in public policy, civil society leadership, regulatory reform, and international coordination.

Farid Ghehioueche

President

Farid Ghehioueche

Farid Ghehioueche is a senior European policy advocate with more than two decades of engagement in drug policy reform, electoral politics, and international regulatory processes. As President of ENCOD, he provides strategic leadership, represents the organisation in European policy dialogue, and oversees the Drug Policy Department.

Gabriele KOZÀR

Treasurer and Coordinator

Gabriele KOZÀR

Gaby Kozàr brings private-sector leadership experience, post-conflict reconstruction engagement, and educational coordination to ENCOD’s Executive Committee. As Treasurer and Coordinator, she oversees financial governance, ensures institutional continuity, and supports the organisation’s operational integrity.

Ana Afuera Gómez

General Secretary

Ana Afuera Gómez

Ana Afuera is a policy reform strategist with extensive experience in cannabis social club governance and institutional negotiation. As General Secretary of ENCOD, she oversees organisational coordination, regulatory engagement, and cross-border collaboration within European drug policy reform frameworks.

Inner Circle

The Inner Circle of ENCOD brings together long-standing contributors and policy experts who support the organisation through research, analysis, and international engagement. While the Executive Committee ensures governance, the Inner Circle provides specialised expertise, institutional continuity, and strategic insight across European drug policy reform.

Enrico Fletzer

Member

Enrico Fletzer

Enrico Fletzer is a long-standing contributor to European drug policy reform, recognised for his extensive writing, translation work, and cross-border media engagement. As part of ENCOD’s Inner Circle, he contributes institutional memory, analytical perspective, and international communication expertise.

Karen Mamo

Member

Karen Mamo

Harm Reduction Malta has been since 2019 advocating for drug policy reform and human rights for people who use drugs. Through different educational campaigns, international collaborations, and out-reach initiatives, Harm Reduction Malta remains committed to promote just laws and policies for all.

Derrick Bergman

Member

Derrick Bergman

Dutch journalist, photographer, and activist who has been covering cannabis culture since 1994. He is a founder and the current chairman of the VOC, the union for the abolition of cannabis prohibition [www.voc-nederland.org].

Konopí je lék

Member

Konopí je lék

We are a community, associations and congregation of individuals and legal entities involved in the international research program Cannabis is The Cure (Konopí je lék). Web: www.konopijelek.cz

In Memoriam

ENCOD honours the memory of those who contributed to the organisation’s work and growth. Their dedication, commitment, and engagement remain part of ENCOD’s institutional history and collective legacy, continuing to shape its mission and values within European drug policy reform.

Erec O. Kozàr

ENCOD Associate and Inner Circle Member

Erec O. Kozàr

Erec O. Kozàr was an ENCOD associate from 2008 and a member of the General Assembly and Inner Circle from 2012 onward.

Joep Oomen

Drug Activist

Joep Oomen

Joep Oomen was a Dutch drug policy activist and founder of ENCOD, known for his dedication to reform, international cooperation, and strengthening civil society networks across Europe.

Jorge Hurtado

Member

Jorge Hurtado

Jorge Hurtado was a dedicated advocate for coca policy reform, contributing to international dialogue on traditional use, cultural rights, and evidence-based drug policy.