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Helping Europe respond to drug-related issues today, and in the future

EMCDDA building in Cais do Sodré

The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) is the central authority on illicit drugs in the European Union. Formerly known as the EMCDDA, the Lisbon-based agency contributes to EU preparedness on drugs through actions that anticipate and alert on dangers, whilst responding to emerging issues and learning from best practice in the field to assess the effectiveness of interventions. 

Our expertise helps to ensure that the decisions of EU and national policymakers, professionals and practitioners are based on objective and verified facts, not ideology or moral and value judgements. We frequently identify important drug-related threats, helping EU countries be better prepared to handle them.

Facts

  • Formally established in 2024 replacing the EMCDDA  (see New European Union Drugs Agency starts work with broader mandate, News release EUDA NO 1/2024)
  • Current workforce: 108 (planned to reach 160 in 2027)
  • Part of the network of EU decentralised specialist agencies
  • Executive Director: Alexis Goosdeel (Belgium), since 2016
  • Chair of the Management Board: Franz Pietsch (Austria), since 2022
  • Chair of the Scientific Committee: to be elected at the first EUDA Scientific Committee meeting  

Mission

Our new mission focuses on contributing to EU preparedness on drugs through four main actions: anticipate, alert, respond, and learn.

Anticipate: We anticipate future drug-related challenges and their consequences.

Alert: We alert in real-time on new drug risks and threats to health and security.

Respond: We help the EU and its Member States strengthen their responses to the drug phenomenon.

Learn: We facilitate EU-wide knowledge exchange and learning for evidence-based policies and interventions.

Strategy

The EUDA continues to contribute to a healthier and more secure Europe, through better-informed drug policy and practice. To achieve this, it applies a multidisciplinary approach to deliver quality, timely and comparable data. The agency has to adapt to changes in the drugs field as well as available resources and customer needs. This has seen it evolve from largely an information provider into a more proactive service-oriented agency.

Values

The EUDA staff are committed to the EU and its overall values. More specifically, four core values guide our work:

  • Scientific excellence — advancing evidence-based knowledge to underpin sound decision-making and research
  • Integrity and impartiality — working professionally, objectively, impartially, independently and transparently
  • Customer focus and service orientation — anticipating customers’ evolving needs and producing timely and tailored material to help anticipate new threats and adopt informed policies
  • Efficiency and sustainability — prioritising activities that deliver value, respect cost-effectiveness and promote corporate sustainability

Customers

The EUDA has the following primary customers:

  • EU institutions
  • National decision-/policymakers
  • Professionals working in the drugs field
  • Scientists and researchers
  • Civil society organisations, including organisations of people who use drugs and of communities affected by the consumption and sale of drugs or drug-related crime.

Governance

The Management Board is the agency’s main decision-making body. It has one representative from each EU country, Norway and Turkey, two from the European Commission and two independent experts chosen by the European Parliament. It is supported by an Executive Board and a Budget Committee. The EUDA Executive Director is the agency’s legal representative and accountable to the Management Board.

The agency concentrates its work where it may provide maximum added value. It complies with EU good governance rules and codes of conduct, ranging from good administrative behaviour and transparency to data protection and avoidance of conflicts of interest. Regular external evaluations provide an independent check on the agency’s performance.

Budget

The EUDA relies on funding provided through the general budget of the European Union (budget line B3-441). For 2024, the EU contribution is around EUR 32 131 775. With the contributions of Turkey and Norway, the budget totals around EUR 33 653 109. Additional funds are received for technical assistance projects. 

Innovation

Innovation is essential if the EUDA is to keep pace with revolutionary changes in the extent and nature of the drugs problem and in the world in which we live. It therefore seeks creative, interdisciplinary and collaborative solutions for the contemporary challenges faced. It has expanded its monitoring capability by complementing routine data collection with information from an expanding range of leading-edge sources, providing more timely and rounded analyses. In an era when digital transformation becomes vital for organisations to deliver value to stakeholders, the agency is pursuing the use of new technologies for business optimisation and communication.

 

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