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Council and Parliament agree on new mechanism to better protect Europeans from new #PsychoactiveSubstances

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On 29 May, the Council and the Parliament reached a political agreement on a package reforming the legislation on new psychoactive substances (NPS) used as alternatives to illicit drugs. 

The new mechanism will allow for a more effective and efficient EU response to new psychoactive substances, which are appearing on the EU market at an unprecedented pace, posing a risk to public health and safety.

Carmelo Abela, minister for home affairs and national security of Malta said: "Legal highs are a growing problem for public health in Europe and it is young people who are most at risk. With these new rules, the EU will provide a faster and more effective response. We will be able to drastically reduce the time needed to assess and possibly decide on an EU wide ban of new psychoactive substances".

The package will streamline the procedure at EU level for assessing the potential negative effects of a new psychoactive substance and decide on a possible ban. This procedure will now be nearly twice as quick as before. Also,  the new rules will further reduce  from 12 to six months the time for member states to implement the EU decision at the national level. The package also aims at improving the information exchange, early warning system and risk assessment procedure at EU level.

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