Key facts
- The EU has adopted a new strategy to combat its growing drug crisis.
- The plan targets drug-related organized crime, trafficking finances, and synthetic drug production.
- Over 83 million adults in the EU have used illicit substances, with over 7,600 annual overdose deaths.
- The strategy includes enhanced monitoring, increased funding for treatment, and stronger law enforcement cooperation.
- Europe is increasingly becoming a production hub for drugs, alongside being a destination market.
The European Union has unanimously adopted a comprehensive strategy to combat its escalating drug crisis, a problem estimated to be worth €31 billion annually and linked to over 7,600 deaths each year. The plan aims to systematically dismantle drug-related organized crime by fostering closer coordination among major EU ports, targeting trafficking finances, and imposing bans on chemicals used in synthetic drug production.
This initiative responds to unprecedented levels of drug use across the bloc, with the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) reporting that more than 83 million adults have used illicit substances. The drug market is characterized by high availability of potent, diverse, and often adulterated substances, coupled with increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks that test law enforcement and public health systems. Europe is also emerging as a significant production hub for drugs, with authorities dismantling thousands of illicit cultivation and production sites annually.
Cannabis remains the most used illicit drug, followed by cocaine, which shows rising residues in 57% of monitored cities. Synthetic substances, including potent opioids like nitazenes, are becoming more prominent and are frequently linked to fatal overdoses, often in combination with other drugs. Crack cocaine use is also placing increasing pressure on harm-reduction and treatment services, while ketamine addiction treatment programs have quadrupled.
The new EU drug strategy, proposed for implementation starting December 2025, builds upon previous efforts by strengthening the focus on security and preparedness. It is structured around five pillars: enhancing preparedness through better monitoring and data collection; boosting prevention, treatment, and social reintegration; strengthening internal security via measures against organized crime and precursor controls; implementing harm-reduction measures; and fostering global cooperation. Alongside the strategy, an EU Action Plan on drug trafficking outlines 19 practical actions to combat criminal networks.