EU controls nine drug precursors following first EUDA assessments

The European Commission has taken a major step to introduce EU-wide controls on nine high-risk precursor chemicals used in illicit drug production via new legislation published this week. The Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/314 (1) builds on the findings of the first EU-level precursor assessments carried out by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) in 2025 (see news item). Eight of the precursors in question are linked to the production of four synthetic cathinones (3-CMC, 3-MMC, 4-CMC, 4-MMC), while one substance (phenyl-2-nitropropene) is used in amphetamine production. The regulation…