The EU Council's Horizontal Working Party on Drugs (HDG) is scheduled to meet on 15 July 2026 in Brussels to adopt its agenda and discuss a range of drug policy issues, including the non-medical use of nitrous oxide, operationalisation of the EU Drugs Strategy, and preparations for dialogues with CELAC and China. The meeting, which runs from 10:00 to 18:00 at the LEX Building, will include representatives from the EU Drugs Agency (EUDA) and Europol for items marked with an asterisk.
The meeting opens with a presentation of the Irish Presidency's programme and a summary of the outgoing Cyprus Presidency's results, as outlined in document ST 11461/26. A thematic discussion on nitrous oxide will draw on a previous Law Enforcement Working Party (LEWP) discussion from 23 June 2026 and a presentation by Belgium and the Netherlands on delegation responses (ST 9995/1/26 REV 1). This follows growing concern across member states about the public health and safety impacts of recreational nitrous oxide use.
On the EU Drugs Strategy, the working party will discuss joint operationalisation, including guiding principles (WK 9789/26), the EU Cooperation Hub on Drugs methodology (ST 9990/1/26 REV 1), and a state of play with information from France, Germany, and Ireland. The meeting also prepares for two key third-country dialogues: the EU-CELAC Technical Committee Meeting scheduled for 8 October 2026 in Brussels, with a draft agenda (WK 9582/2026) and informal Executive Bureau guidelines (WK 9787/2026); and the EU-China Dialogue on Drugs set for 22 September 2026 in Brussels, with a draft agenda (WK 7829/2026) and annotated agenda (WK 9792/26), including a Commission presentation.
Other agenda items include a presentation of the UNODC World Drug Report 2026, a state of play on the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and information from the Presidency. Under any other business, Europol will present new reports on the most threatening criminal networks and an intelligence notification on drop-offs at sea; the Commission will provide risk assessments and a delegated directive on two new psychoactive substances; and Germany will report on the Brandenburg Forum on Drugs and Development Policies held on 25 June 2026 in New York, as well as on Palau's request for a critical review of nicotine.
The meeting advances EU drug policy coordination by setting the stage for operational decisions on nitrous oxide regulation, the EU Drugs Strategy implementation, and international cooperation frameworks. Stakeholders impacted include national drug policy authorities, law enforcement agencies, public health bodies, and international partners in CELAC and China. No formal decisions are expected at this working party level, but the discussions will feed into higher-level Council preparations and future legislative or operational measures.