The new European Union Drugs Agency has started work, replacing the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMC). The agency informed BTA that, like the center, it will also be based in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.
The agency was officially established yesterday in accordance with new legislation that revises and expands the mandate of the relevant European body. With new tools and competences, the European Union Agency for Drugs will play a key role in strengthening the EU's response to health and security challenges arising from illicit drugs.
Why a new agency
Following an external evaluation of the EMCDDA's activities, the European Commission called in January 2022 for the extension and activation of the activity of the competent body in order to be able to cope with the new challenges posed by the increasingly complex phenomenon of drugs and the emergence of powerful new substances. The EU legislative process ended in June last year, kicking off a one-year transition period.
New Services
The ultimate aim of the EU Drug Agency is to increase the Union's drug preparedness. Its work will be organized around four interrelated service categories:
- Foresight: helping the EU and its Member States anticipate future drug-related challenges and their consequences.
- Alert: issuing real-time warnings about new drug risks and health and security threats.
- Answer: helping the European Union and its member states strengthen their responses to the drug phenomenon.
- Training: facilitating EU-wide knowledge exchange and training on evidence-based drug policies and interventions.
New Mechanisms
To ensure EU drug preparedness, new mechanisms have been established, including:
- A European drug alert system that will issue warnings when serious drug risks appear on the market. This complements the existing EU early warning system for new psychoactive substances.
- A European threat assessment system that will improve the way the EU prepares for and responds to emerging or potential threats to health and security.
- A European network of forensic and toxicology laboratories that will promote the exchange of information on new trends and train national toxicologists and forensic drug experts.
The new EU Drugs Agency will be officially opened today by European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson.