EU drugs policy

Why EU countries work together on drugs

Drug use and drug trafficking affect people's health, safety and well-being. Beyond the harm caused to individuals, families and communities, drug trafficking fuels organised crime, violence and corruption and threatens democracy and the rule of law and can undermine public safety and social cohesion. It is one of the largest criminal markets in the EU, worth at least €30 billion a year, and one of the main sources of income for criminal networks in the European Union.

The challenge is rapidly evolving. Drug trafficking increasingly takes place online, making it harder to detect and investigate. Criminal networks are more and more agile and sophisticated, exploit online platforms, apps, the internet and the darknet, and use encrypted communications, crypto-assets, complex structures and specialised money-laundering services. They also exploit and recruit vulnerable people into crime, many of them children and juveniles, and seek to influence public institutions through intimidation and corruption.

Because drug-related challenges often concern several countries, EU member states work together and coordinate their actions through the EU drugs strategy.

EU drugs strategy

The Council endorsed the new EU drugs strategy in March 2026, and approved, in early June, its comprehensive implementation framework and endorsed the EU action plan against drug trafficking. The strategy consists of five pillars:

• enhancing EU and national preparedness to anticipate and respond to drug-related health and security threats
• protecting public health by using evidence-based preventive approaches and treatment
• improving security and protecting society by addressing drug production and trafficking and addressing criminal infiltration
• addressing drug related-harm to protect individuals and society with measures that address individual health as well as social and environmental damages
• building strong partnerships to address the drug situation, in particular with third countries and regions

The strategy is based on evidence, on balancing the reduction of drug supply, drug demand and drug-related harm, in a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach and endeavours to ensure better coordination across all relevant policy fields, including health, education, social services, environment, law enforcement and justice. It also endeavours to build complementarities between the local, national, EU and international levels.

The implementation framework includes measures to operationalise the prevention, demand and harm reduction priorities of the strategy through the EU cooperation hub on drugs, in the form of innovative member state-led cooperation projects. On supply reduction, it is anchored on the EU action plan against drug trafficking (2026-2030) and the EMPACT priority of fighting drug trafficking for 2026-2029.

• Council conclusions on jointly operationalising the EU drugs strategy, 4 June 2026
• Council conclusions on the EU drugs strategic framework, 6 March 2026
• EU drugs strategy (European Commission, 4 December 2025)

EU cooperation hub on drugs

The EU cooperation hub on drugs supports practical cooperation between member states, EU agencies and partners through voluntary projects. The priorities on reducing drug demand and drug-related harm are to be operationalised through this EU hub. Examples of areas covered by pilot projects are:

• research on treatment for psychoactive stimulant use disorders
• prevention measures
• drug consumption rooms and drug checking services
• online sales of psychoactive substances from a health perspective

Key priorities for tackling drug trafficking

The EU action plan against drug trafficking (2026-2030) identifies six priority areas:

• adapting to evolving routes and modi operandi
• preventing crime and reducing drug-related violence
• enhancing cooperation across law enforcement, judiciary and customs
• addressing the challenge of synthetic drugs and drug precursors
• advancing research and development and innovation
• strengthening international cooperation and partnerships

• EU action plan against drug trafficking (European Commission, 4 December 2025)

Reducing drug related harm

Reducing health harm and social harm is a central objective of the EU drugs policy. The aim is to prevent illness and deaths, improve access to care and treatment, and support recovery.

EU action focuses on:

• preventing and reducing drug-related infectious diseases
• preventing overdoses and drug-related deaths
• promoting support, treatment and recovery services
• encouraging alternatives to criminal sanctions for people who use drugs, where appropriate
• improving support for people with substance use disorders and other mental health conditions

Mental health and substance abuse

Substance use disorders often occur alongside mental health conditions. This creates complex needs for individuals and for healthcare systems.

EU countries are working to provide for more integrated, person-centred support. This includes better coordination of services and tailored interventions that respond to individuals' specific needs.

• Council addresses situation of people suffering from both drug use and other mental health disorders (press release, 5 December 2023)
• Co-occurrence of mental health and substance use disorders (EU Drugs Agency)