EU unveils plan to boost battle against new drugs

EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner holds a press conference to present the EU Drugs Strategy and the Action Plan against drug trafficking at the EU headquarters in Brussels on December 4, 2025.[AFP]

The European Commission on Thursday unveiled a new plan to combat drug trafficking and to alert member states more quickly about new psychotropic substances circulating on the continent.

The fight against illicit drugs is primarily the responsibility of the 27 EU members, but the executive wants to push for a coordinated response to the problem.

The issue has been brought back into the spotlight by a series of incidents, including the murder in France of the brother of an activist involved in fighting the drugs trade.

"The EU will not tolerate criminal networks flooding our streets with cheap drugs, fuelling violent crime, and undermining health and security in Europe," said EU internal commissioner Magnus Brunner.

The commission wants in particular to strengthen cooperation between customs services and private parcel delivery companies to improve drug detection.

It also wants to task the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) with identifying new psychotropic drugs on the continent, and issuing quick alerts to member states about their spread.

According to the agency, synthetic products derived from cannabis, opioids and cathinones, which have similar effects to amphetamines, are gaining ground in Europe.

But cocaine remains by far the most consumed illicit stimulant on the continent, used by some 4.6 million people aged 15 to 64 in 2024.