European Union Drugs Agency - EUDA

13/03/2026

🎓 The European Drugs Winter School 2026 has concluded after two weeks of online learning and exchange.

This year’s edition brought together 19 participants from 11 countries, focusing on the role of social media in the drugs field and how online environments influence drug markets, use trends and response strategies.

Co-organised by Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, IPPS-Iscte and the EUDA, the course combined expert lectures, interactive sessions and virtual fieldwork. As every year, the online gathering bringing together current and former students of the European Drugs Winter and Summer Schools also took place, offering a space to share experiences, reflections and plans beyond the course itself.

Thank you to all speakers and participants for their active engagement.

📌 What’s next? Registration is open for the European Drugs Summer School 2026, taking place in person from 22 June to 3 July 2026.

👉 Find out more and register:
https://www.euda.europa.eu/event/2026/06/european-drugs-summer-school-2026_en

13/03/2026

🚨 Coming soon!

Our latest wastewater analysis is nearly here, offering fresh insights into drug trends across Europe. The study will be released on 18 March.

Developed with the SCORE network, it covers data from more than 115 cities. It also includes data from outside Europe, enabling international comparisons.

More soon. 🌍💧

12/03/2026

🔍 As substances become more diverse, potent and unpredictable, helps close the gap between what people think they are using and what is actually in circulation, supporting safer choices and faster responses.

On the eve of International Drug Checking Day, our webinar will explore how drug‑checking services contribute to harm reduction, drug market monitoring and public health alerts, and why they matter for consumers, practitioners and authorities alike.

📅 Date and time: 30 March 2026 │ 12:00–13:30 Lisbon time (WEST) │ 13:00–14:30 (CEST)

👉 Register here: https://www.euda.europa.eu/event/2026/03/euda-webinar-international-drug-checking-day_en

10/03/2026

Ketamine seizures in Europe have increased to 3.5 tonnes from 200 kg in 2016, but medical demand appears to have remained stable during this time. What is driving the gap, and what does it mean for law enforcement and public health?

Our new situation report takes a closer look at this emerging synthetic drug market.

Key findings:
🚨 Health harms are increasing, particularly among frequent users, with rising treatment demand and severe urological complications being reported across the region
💊 Supply to the illicit market is driven by diversion from legitimate pharmaceutical manufacturing rather than clandestine production
🌍 Europe functions as both a destination and transit point, with large consignments moving through European hubs and being re-exported to Australia, the US, some countries in Asia and beyond

📘 Read more in our report:
www.euda.europa.eu/publications/joint-publications/ketamine-europe_en

🎤 If you are at in Vienna, you can hear the findings in person. Join the side event ‘Down the K hole: Global ketamine use and criminal markets’ from 16:30 to 17:30 CET in room M2.

09/03/2026

💻 EUDA webinar: Did the illicit trade experience a supply shock?

Join Professor Peter Reuter and Kasey Vangelov for a discussion on the unexpected decline in fentanyl overdose deaths in North America in 2023–2024 and whether a major supply disruption may have played a role. We will also look at the implications for drug policy and public health preparedness.

📅 Date and time: 24 March 2026 │ 14:30–15:30 Lisbon time (WET) │ 15:30–16:30 (CET)

We will explore:
✅ What recent data show on deaths, purity, seizures and online signals
✅ Possible links to precursor controls and other supply side actions
✅ What these trends could mean for preparedness and international cooperation

👉 Register now: https://www.euda.europa.eu/event/2026/03/euda-webinar-did-illicit-fentanyl-trade-experience-supply-shock_en

09/03/2026

🚨 There’s still time to apply!

We’re inviting experienced professionals to join us as a Seconded National Expert to contribute to our work at the intersection of drug policy, crime and European cooperation.

💼 This is a position in which you remain employed by your home administration while being seconded to work with us.

How to apply:
🔵 Read the call notice for the requirements and documents
🔵 Confirm with your employer that a secondment is possible
🔵 Your Permanent Representation to the EU must send your application using the email address indicated in the notice

Deadline to apply: 31 March 2026 (23:59 Lisbon time)

👉 Apply now: https://www.euda.europa.eu/calls/2026/sne202601_en

EU Careers

🚨 New job opportunity at the EUDA!

We’re inviting experienced professionals to join us as a Seconded National Expert to contribute to our work at the intersection of drug policy, crime and European cooperation.

In this role, you’ll:
🧠 Contribute to policy and strategic analysis
📊 Work with data, trends and analytical tools
🤝 Collaborate with national and international partners
🌍 Represent the EUDA in expert meetings and professional exchanges

Deadline to apply: 31 March 2026 (23:59 Lisbon time)

👉 Apply now: https://www.euda.europa.eu/calls/2026/sne202601_en

EU Careers

08/03/2026

🌟 International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognise the essential role that women and girls play in building a fair, just and secure Europe.

Across the EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies’ Network, women across all roles and professions work every day to strengthen gender equality, support access to justice, advance scientific evidence, uphold fundamental rights, protect people in vulnerable situations and contribute to safer communities.

Today, we mark International Women’s Day by recognising that our agencies, partners and practitioners across Europe are stronger, more effective and more inclusive because of women’s leadership, expertise and commitment.

💜 Together, we stand for fairness, dignity and full gender equality, and for a Europe free from gender-based violence.

06/03/2026

🔍 To reduce drug market-related violence in Europe, we need stronger evidence about what is driving it and where responses are falling short.

A new peer-reviewed paper written by our EUDA colleagues takes a deeper look at how drug market-related violence is evolving. It outlines four priorities for a more effective and coordinated European response.

The study builds directly on the conclusions of the First European Conference on Drug-Related Violence and highlights the need for:
🔵 improved data collection and monitoring
🔵 better local and city-level information
🔵 evaluation and sharing of effective prevention approaches
🔵 regular information exchange among key actors

These insights support our ongoing work to break the cycle of harm affecting communities across Europe and to strengthen Europe’s preparedness in this area.

📘 Read the paper (access via journal link):
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926000344?dgcid=author

🌐 Explore our work on drug-related violence:
https://www.euda.europa.eu/activities/drug-related-violence_en

06/03/2026

Drug use is not gender-neutral. Our new FAQs combine clear explanation with EU data that you can use in practice. Our goal is to help close a knowledge gap and support professionals across the drugs field in embedding a gender perspective into their work, so that responses are appropriate, effective and evidence-based.

A few of the questions we answer:
🟣 Why is it important to consider a gender perspective in the drugs field?
🟢 What do the data tell us about the main gender differences in drug use and drug-related harms in Europe?
🟠 Is the gender gap in drug use narrowing among younger generations?
🔵 How can gender-responsive interventions be implemented in the drugs field?

Explore the full resource and the latest data, concepts and responses: euda.europa.eu/publications/frequently-asked-questions-faq/faq-gender-and-drugs-europe_en

05/03/2026

🌍 What does look like in practice for a European agency?

For us at the EUDA, it means making everyday choices that reduce our environmental footprint, from how we use energy and manage our buildings to how we travel, procure goods and involve staff. It also means measuring what we do, being transparent about the results and continuously improving.

That is why environmental management has been part of our work for more than a decade. Today, on World Energy Efficiency Day, we are proud to announce that this long-term commitment has been formally recognised through registration under the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, EMAS.

EMAS is a framework that requires organisations to assess their environmental impact, set concrete objectives, report publicly on progress and have their performance independently verified.

♻️ From renewable energy and solar panels to cutting single use plastics, and from reducing work travel emissions to engaging colleagues across the agency, sustainability at the EUDA is about turning responsibility into action.

👉 Learn more about what this means in practice and how we work to reduce our environmental impact: https://www.euda.europa.eu/about/sustainability-at-the-euda_en

27/02/2026

📰 Do you work on drugs, health or security in Europe?

This month’s Drugnet Europe highlights the latest evidence and opportunities, including:
🔵 What the new EUDA work programme has in store for 2026–2028
🔵 Nine new EU-level precursor assessments
🔵 Horizon Europe calls you may wish to prepare for
🔵 Activities across the EU Justice and Home Affairs agencies

👉 Explore the February issue: https://mailchi.mp/euda/drugnet-europe-197-february2026
👉 Subscribe for monthly updates: https://europa.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=7661463396b2fc9d763392225&id=3f011a8795

27/02/2026

🌍 Preparing Europe for current and future drug challenges is at the heart of our mission. Our new Single programming document 2026–2028 sets out how we will continue strengthening EU preparedness through better data, faster alerts, clearer insights and a strong focus on learning, innovation and collaboration.

💬 In her first foreword as Executive Director, Lorraine Nolan highlights the importance of turning our expanded mandate into real, high-quality services for our partners and communities. This means continued strengthening of our focus on service delivery for our stakeholders but also supporting EUDA staff members through this period of organisational change.

🤝 With the support of our networks and partners across Europe, we will keep working to anticipate emerging trends, respond to new threats and support policies that protect health and security.

📖 Explore the Single programming document 2026–2028 on our website: euda.europa.eu/publications/work-programmes-and-strategies/euda-spd-2026-28_en