On 4 December, the Commission presented a new EU Drugs Strategy and an Action Plan against drug trafficking, as well as updated rules for monitoring and controlling drug precursors. Announced by President von der Leyen in the political guidelines and a key deliverable under the ProtectEU - European Internal Security Strategy, they set out a comprehensive EU response to the security, health, social and environmental challenges linked to the trafficking and use of illicit drugs.

Drug trafficking presents a substantial and persistent threat to Europe’s security. Over half of the most threatening criminal networks operating in the EU are involved in drug trafficking1, exploiting the EU’s position as a major consumer market, transit hub, and production area for illicit drugs. Organised crime exploits global trade routes and digital technologies, building sophisticated criminal infrastructures that destabilise EU society through violence, corruption and infiltration in the legal economy. Cocaine and synthetic drugs, along with their precursors, are particularly dynamic facets of drug trafficking, marked by shifting routes and changing methods. Despite successful law enforcement actions, the production of synthetic drugs like MDMA, amphetamine, and methamphetamine continues at scale within the EU. Criminal networks rapidly adapt, using sophisticated smuggling methods, encrypted communications, darknet platforms, and cryptocurrencies to evade detection.