On 6-7 June 2013 the Council adopted the new EU Action Plan on Drugs (2013-2016) (9963/13) that foresees 54 concrete and evidence-based actions in the areas of drug demand reduction, drug supply reduction, coordination, international cooperation, information, research, monitoring and evaluation. Each action is defined by a timetable, responsible parties and data collection/assessment mechanisms. 15 overarching indicators and a number of additional indicators have been listed to assess the implementation of this action plan.

The action plan contains the following highlights:
– Demand reduction: actions to tackle the challenge of misuse of prescribed and "over the counter" opiods and to improve health care measures available for drug users in prisons and after release are foreseen.
– Supply reduction: measures to tackle the spread and use of new psychoactive substances, to promote alternatives to coercive sanctions for drug using offenders and to develop drug supply indicators are named.
– Coordination: the on-going dialogue with civil society as well as with scientific community is encouraged.
– International cooperation: the importance of dialogues on drugs with various partners is emphasised, alternative development is encouraged and EU commitment to contribute to the the mid-term review process of the 2009 UN Political Declaration is mentioned.
– Information, research, monitoring and evaluation: the research is promoted into all areas of drug phenomenon as well as evaluation of the quality of research that has
been performed. Measures to improve capacity to detect the phenomenon on new psychoactive substances are also foreseen.

This action plan is the first Action Plan implementing the recently adopted EU Drugs Strategy for 2013-2020 (17547/12), which aims to contribute to a reduction in drug demand and drug supply within the EU. It also aims to reduce the health and social risks and harms caused by drugs through a strategic approach that supports and complements national policies, that provides a framework for
coordinated and joint actions and that forms the basis and political framework for EU external cooperation in this field.