Today, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) officially starts work in Lisbon replacing the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). The development is the result of legislation entering into application today, which revises the EMCDDA mandate and name and formally establishes the EUDA (1). With new tools and competencies, the EUDA will play a key role in strengthening the EU’s response to emerging health and security challenges posed by illicit drugs.
Why a new agency? Following an external evaluation of the EMCDDA, the European Commission called for a…