The existing European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction may soon become a fully-fledged EU Drugs Agency, following the provisional agreement on a proposed regulation reached by the Council presidency and the European Parliament. The agreement has now to be approved by both the European Council and Parliament before undergoing the formal adoption procedure.
The new EU Drugs Agency is expected to act more efficiently in tackling the illegal drugs market ad drug addictions at both EU and global level. The new legislative framework would allow the agency to improve the response capacity to new health and security challenges posed by illegal drugs. It would also provide support to member states.
Under the enhanced mandate, the EU Drug Agency would not only continue to collect, analyse and disseminate data. It would be also involved in developing general health and security threat assessment capabilities to rapidly identify new threats, and in conducting regular foresight exercises to identify future challenges. Poly-substance use could be a specific target, together with strengthening the cooperation with the national focal points, and the creation of a network of laboratories which will enable the agency to access forensic and toxicological information. The agency should also become competent for the development of evidence-based interventions, and its role in the area of international cooperation should be clarified.
Source: European Commission