The EU Council's Horizontal Working Party on Drugs (HDG) is scheduled to meet on 15 July 2026 in Brussels to adopt its agenda, review the Irish Presidency programme, and operationalise the EU Drugs Strategy, according to a notice of meeting and provisional agenda published by the Council on 13 July 2026.
The meeting, running from 10:00 to 18:00 at the LEX Building, will open with agenda adoption. The Irish Presidency will present its programme, with participation from the EU Drugs Agency (EUDA) and Europol. The Cyprus Presidency will summarise HDG results from its term, as documented in ST 11461/26.
A key agenda item is the joint operationalisation of the EU Drugs Strategy. The Presidency will present guiding principles (WK 9789/26) and the EU Cooperation Hub on Drugs methodology (ST 9990/1/26 REV 1), with updates on the state of play from France, Germany, and Ireland.
The working party will also prepare for bilateral and regional dialogues. The EU-CELAC Technical Committee Meeting, scheduled for 8 October 2026 in Brussels, will be discussed based on a draft agenda (WK 9582/2026) and informal Executive Bureau guidelines (WK 9787/2026). The EU-China Dialogue on Drugs, set for 22 September 2026 in Brussels, will be addressed via a draft agenda (WK 7829/2026) and annotated agenda (WK 9792/26), with a Commission presentation and exchange of views.
A thematic discussion on the non-medical use of nitrous oxide will draw on law enforcement and customs discussions from the Law Enforcement Working Party meeting of 23 June 2026. Belgium and the Netherlands will present delegation responses to a questionnaire (ST 9995/1/26 REV 1, ST 11498/26).
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime will present its World Drug Report 2026. The Presidency will provide a state of play on the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Under any other business, Europol will report on the most threatening criminal networks and drop-offs at sea, while the Commission will address risk assessments and a delegated directive for two new psychoactive substances.
Other items include European Council Conclusions of 18-19 June 2026 (EUCO 8/26), an EU-CLASI Institutional Meeting held on 10 July 2026, and a COPEN meeting on judicial cooperation with third countries on 8 July 2026.