In a written answer on 3 July 2026, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Olivér Várhelyi declined to assess the compatibility of Greece's recent legislative changes on substance use treatment with EU principles, stressing that health service organisation is a national competence. The response, to a question from The Left MEP Nikos Pappas, instead highlighted the EU's role in providing evidence-based guidance and funding through the EU Drugs Strategy, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), and programmes such as EU4Health.
Pappas had raised concerns about Greece's Law 5129/2024, which created the National Organisation for Preventing and Combating Addiction (EOPAE) and consolidated rehabilitation structures, questioning whether this would undermine diversified, personalised care. The Commissioner's answer contained no concrete proposals or numerical targets, offering only declarative support for a balanced, evidence-based approach. He noted that the new EU Drugs Strategy, adopted in December 2025, promotes prevention and minimum quality standards, and that the EUDA provides data and best practices to Member States. Monitoring will be reinforced through the European Health Data Space once operational.
The answer signals that the Commission will not intervene in national treatment models, leaving policy direction to Member States. Institutional follow-up is expected through EUDA guidance and EU4Health-funded projects, but no specific timeline was given. The response impacts four key stakeholders: national health authorities, which retain full control over treatment structures; EU citizens, who may see divergent standards across Member States; the EUDA, whose advisory role is reaffirmed; and addiction treatment providers, who face uncertainty about the future of diversified therapeutic approaches in countries like Greece.