On 14 September 2015, the Council of the European Union adopted Council conclusions on the implementation of minimum quality standards in drug demand reduction in the EU. This innovative initiative lists 16 standards that represent a minimum benchmark of quality for interventions in: drug use prevention, risk and harm reduction, treatment, social integration and rehabilitation. Although non-binding for national governments, this document represents the political will of EU countries to address demand reduction interventions through an evidence-based perspective. These guidelines have been drawn up in the context of Action 9 of the EU action plan on drugs (2013–16).

The EMCDDA is disseminating the standards via its Best practice portal and will monitor their implementation.