Key facts
- The EU has adopted a new drug strategy for 2030 to combat drug trafficking and synthetic substance use.
- The strategy aims to dismantle crime networks, target trafficking finances, and ban chemicals used in synthetic drug production.
- Over 83 million adults in the EU have used illicit substances, with more than 7,600 annual overdose deaths.
- The plan focuses on five pillars: preparedness, public health, security, harm prevention, and international cooperation.
- Critics argue the strategy sidelines harm reduction in favor of enforcement.
The European Union has adopted a new drug strategy, effective until 2030, to address a growing drug crisis characterized by increased accessibility, potency, and sophisticated trafficking networks. The strategy aims to dismantle organized crime, target illicit finances, and ban chemicals used in synthetic drug production. The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) reported that at least 7,600 people died from overdoses in the EU in 2024, with opioids being the leading cause, often due to polysubstance use. Over 83 million adults in the EU have used illicit substances, and Europe is increasingly becoming a production hub for drugs.
The strategy is built on five pillars: enhancing preparedness through better monitoring and data collection; boosting prevention, treatment, and social reintegration; strengthening internal security against organized crime and precursor controls; implementing harm-reduction measures; and fostering global cooperation. An accompanying EU Action Plan on drug trafficking outlines 19 practical actions to combat criminal networks. However, critics, including the Global Commission on Drug Policy, express concern that the strategy prioritizes enforcement over harm reduction and warn that increased policing at major ports may simply shift trafficking activities elsewhere.