Briefing - Understanding drug precursor control in the European Union - 24-06-2025
Drug precursors are substances that may have legitimate commercial or industrial applications but are also used to produce illicit drugs. Criminal organisations seek to divert these substances from licit trade, while governments strive to prevent this without hindering the commercial interests of lawful operators. Faced with challenges in accessing these substances, primarily produced outside the European Union (EU) and subject to stringent regulations, criminal organisations have increasingly turned to using uncontrolled substitutes, putting in question conventional prevention strategies. Trade in drug precursors is strictly monitored and controlled at the international, EU, and Member State levels. The 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is the cornerstone of the international framework for regulating these substances. Precursors are listed in the tables annexed to the Convention, which also outlines the roles of various bodies, such as the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the International Narcotics Control Board, in the scheduling process. To address the diversion of drug precursors, the EU has established a comprehensive framework composed of legislative, policy and institutional elements. The provisions of the 1988 Convention have been implemented through two EU regulations: one governing intra-EU trade and the other regulating trade with third countries. These laws impose obligations on operators handling substances listed by the EU. The EU Drugs Agency has been granted an enhanced mandate to assist the European Commission in monitoring precursor-related developments. In 2020, the Commission published a report assessing the effectiveness of EU drug precursors regulations in terms of implementation, impact, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value. The evaluation's findings will inform the forthcoming revision of the two regulations.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP