The UK government and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) signed a Working Arrangement, on 13 July, that will strengthen both the UK and EU’s ability to protect public health, identify dangerous substances earlier and reduce the harms caused by illicit drugs.
The Working Arrangement, signed in London by the Minister for Public Health and Prevention Sharon Hodgson and EUDA Executive Director Dr Lorraine Nolan, will support reciprocal exchanges of information on newly detected substances, emerging drug threats and high-risk drugs in circulation, helping both sides identify risks earlier and respond more effectively. Implementation on the UK side will be led jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office.
UK Police and Border Force intercepted drugs on a record-breaking 269,000 occasions between March 2024 and 2025, and the government continues to work closely with UK law enforcement and overseas partners around the world to prevent these drugs from reaching UK shores.
Increasingly dangerous drugs, including potent synthetic opioids and other new substances, are causing rising drug-related harms and deaths across the UK and Europe. By improving the exchange of information, expertise and alerts on emerging drug threats, this Working Arrangement will strengthen the collective ability to respond to emerging risks and reduce harm across the continent.
The arrangement supports wider collaboration on prevention, treatment, social reintegration and harm reduction, and improves our shared understanding of drug supply and trafficking across UK and Europe. Together, it will better equip both sides to tackle evolving drug markets and protect communities.
This delivers a commitment made at the 2025 UK-EU Summit, where both sides agreed to conclude a working arrangement enabling the reciprocal exchange of information on drug risks and threats as part of wider UK-EU cooperation in areas of shared interest.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Sharon Hodgson, said
Too many lives are being lost to increasingly dangerous and fast-moving drug threats that are more unpredictable than ever before and can spread rapidly across borders. This needs to change.
This arrangement will enable the exchange of information, expertise and alerts on emerging drug threats. By joining forces, we will be better placed to spot dangerous substances before they cause harm, to support prevention and treatment services with the intelligence they need, and to protect the health of communities across the UK.
This government is determined to reduce the devastating toll of drug-related harm on individuals, families and communities. And we are taking this important step to keep them safe and healthy, ensuring that no one is left to face these threats alone.
EUDA Executive Director, Dr Lorraine Nolan said
This Working Arrangement marks an important new chapter in the relationship between the European Union Drugs Agency and the United Kingdom. As drug markets evolve rapidly and become increasingly interconnected, closer cooperation is essential. This agreement provides a practical framework for sharing data, expertise and research, strengthening early warning and improving our understanding of emerging threats. By working together, we will be better equipped to respond to drug-related challenges and to help safeguard public health and security.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said
This government has made a record number of drug seizures, and we will go even further to protect the public from dangerous illegal drugs, which ruin lives.
By restoring this vital information sharing with our EU partners, we are strengthening our ability to disrupt criminal networks, tackle drug-related deaths and stop dangerous substances reaching our communities.
Together, we will dismantle the illicit supply chains that fuel organised crime and make the UK safer.