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Galvin, Brian (2022) In brief. Drugnet Ireland, Issue 80, Winter 2022, p. 2.

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The next two to three years will see important changes in the coordination of the drug monitoring systems of the European Union (EU) and in the role played by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in supporting research and science-based responses at the national level. The European Commission has presented a legislative proposal to revise the mandate of the EMCDDA to ensure that the agency is prepared to meet future challenges of the drugs phenomenon.1 Specifically, the revision of the mandate seeks to strengthen the agency’s capacity to monitor polysubstance use, build its threat assessment capabilities, establish a laboratory to provide forensic and toxicological information to the agency, reinforce the position of national focal points, and give the agency a leading role in the development of EU-level prevention and awareness-raising campaigns. 

The proposed revision restates the logic behind an EU-approach to the drugs phenomenon and the need to have a coordinated response to a problem which has a strong transnational dimension. This position is reinforced by the growing diversity of drugs of increasing purity and potency, the widespread availability of drugs across all member states, and the increasing complexity of patterns of use and distribution. Innovation and technological developments in the synthesis, sale, and supply of drugs result in a continually changing drugs environment. This will require an adaptable and coherent response that develops through learning and efficient knowledge exchange. A monitoring system able to avail quickly of scientific breakthroughs and capable of supporting national drug observatories is essential to the success of this response.

The European Commission considered a number of policy options, or rationalisations, to underpin the proposed administrative and technical changes proposed in the revision. The preferred policy option is delivering more value in drugs policy. This envisages national focal points being better equipped to avail of support from the agency and will give the agency the breadth to devise services specifically for member states. It will also support the expansion of methodologies developed to monitor illegal drug supply and drug markets. The changes envisaged in the legislative proposal will provide the basis for the agency to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current drugs situation. The proposal will have a significant impact on the work of the agency and will require a substantial increase in its budget and staffing.

The EMCDDA will be renamed the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). The new legislation will pay particular attention to monitoring and risk assessment procedures for new psychoactive substances, in particular producing assessments of threats to public health, safety, and security. Another important expansion of the agency’s role is in the area of competence development. The EUDA will develop prevention programmes for the entire EU and will work directly with member states in preparing national campaigns. The agency will also act as an accreditation and certification body for national prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and other programmes. The European Commission’s proposal is a strong endorsement of the agency’s work over the past 25 years. The EUDA will be a driver of innovation in drugs monitoring, scientific practice, and evaluation in all member states. The new mandate will present real opportunities for researchers, policy analysts, and practitioners, particularly in the area of threat assessment and competence building.

Item Type
Article
Publication Type
Irish-related, International, Open Access, Article
Drug Type
Substances (not alcohol/tobacco)
Intervention Type
Policy
Issue Title
Issue 80, Winter 2022
Date
March 2022
Page Range
p. 2
Publisher
Health Research Board
Volume
Issue 80, Winter 2022
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