The Horizontal Working Party on Drugs will meet on 15 July 2026, from 10:00 to 17:00 in the Council's Lex Building in Brussels, to adopt its agenda and coordinate drug policy across the EU. The meeting, convened by the Council, will focus on operationalising the EU Drugs Strategy, preparing bilateral dialogues with CELAC and China, and receiving updates from the EU Drugs Agency (EUDA), Europol, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The provisional agenda, published on 7 July 2026, lists 11 items. After adopting the agenda, the Irish Presidency will present its programme, with EUDA and Europol invited for this and all subsequent items. The outgoing Cyprus Presidency will summarise results from its term, with a document (ST 11461/26) to be issued. Under item 4, the working party will discuss drug-related issues in other Council preparatory bodies, including the European Council Conclusions of 18-19 June 2026, the EU-CLASI Institutional Meeting held on 10 July 2026, and a COPEN meeting on judicial cooperation with third countries on 8 July 2026.
A key agenda item is jointly operationalising the EU Drugs Strategy (item 5), with guiding principles (WK 9789/26) and a methodology for the EU Cooperation Hub on Drugs (ST 9990/1/26 REV 1) to be issued. France, Germany, and Ireland will provide a state of play. Under bilateral and regional dialogues (item 6), the working party will prepare 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). It will also prepare the EU-China Dialogue on Drugs set for 22 September 2026 in Brussels, with draft and annotated agendas (WK 7829/2026 and WK 9792/26), followed by a Commission presentation and exchange of views.
A thematic discussion on nitrous oxide (item 7) will follow a law enforcement discussion at LEWP on 23 June 2026; Belgium and the Netherlands will present questionnaire responses (ST 9995/1/26 REV 1 and ST 11498/26 to be issued). EUDA will provide updates (item 8) on a threat assessment of highly potent synthetic opioids, a working arrangement with the UK, and its Management Board Meeting of 18-19 June 2026. The UNODC World Drug Report 2026 will be presented (item 9), and the Presidency will update on the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (item 10). Under any other business (item 11), Europol will brief on most threatening networks and drop-offs at sea, and the Commission will present risk assessments and a delegated directive adding two new psychoactive substances to the drug definition.
The meeting is a preparatory body for the Council, and its outcomes will feed into ministerial decisions. Stakeholders impacted include EU member states (through coordinated policy and operational guidelines), EUDA and Europol (as key information providers), and third countries involved in dialogues (CELAC and China). The meeting does not adopt binding legislation but sets the direction for EU drug policy coordination.