New rules on drug precursors

Key points

The EESC recommends the following:

• ensure that access to the ‘Drug Precursors Information Repository’ is entirely free of charge;
• provide for total exemptions or significant reductions in fees to issue licences for universities, research institutes and philanthropic organisations;
• streamline the prior notification procedures for the use of small quantities of ‘designer’ precursors;
• establish a dedicated technical guidance channel for all stakeholders, including third sector organisations, with rapid clarification on the classification of substance variants;
• avoid legal uncertainty for research laboratories caused by the generic inclusion of substance groups in Category 3 by publishing clear, timely, and exhaustive exemption lists;
• involve civil society organisations specialised in addiction prevention and harm reduction in awareness-raising and training activities; 
• apply the obligation to appoint a ‘responsible officer’ with flexibility for small civil organisations, allowing for the designation of existing internal staff;
• achieve homogeneous regulation in the EU. This will support authorities in tracking substance trading and the use of substances in research across Europe; 
• protect the autonomy of researchers using Category 3 precursors by ensuring that competent authority controls are risk-based and do not interfere with the confidentiality or integrity of scientific research protocols.

For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat.