The UK government and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) have signed a new working arrangement aimed at strengthening cooperation to address emerging drug threats, improve public health protection and curb the spread of illicit drugs across Europe. The agreement, signed in London on July 13, 2026, establishes a framework for the reciprocal exchange of intelligence on newly detected substances, high-risk drugs and evolving trafficking patterns.

The arrangement was signed by the UK's Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Sharon Hodgson, and EUDA Executive Director, Dr. Lorraine Nolan. Its implementation in the UK will be jointly led by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office.

Under the agreement, the UK and the EUDA will share information, scientific expertise and early warnings on dangerous drugs, including potent synthetic opioids and other emerging psychoactive substances. The enhanced collaboration is expected to improve the early identification of new drug threats, enabling authorities to respond more quickly and reduce drug-related harms and fatalities.

The partnership also expands cooperation in areas such as drug prevention, treatment, harm reduction, social reintegration and monitoring of illicit drug supply chains. By strengthening intelligence sharing, both sides aim to improve their understanding of evolving drug markets and support coordinated action against organised criminal networks involved in drug trafficking.

The agreement comes as drug-related harms continue to rise across the UK and Europe. According to the UK government, police and Border Force intercepted illegal drugs on a record 269,000 occasions between March 2024 and March 2025, underscoring the growing challenge posed by increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks and synthetic narcotics.

The working arrangement also fulfils a commitment made during the 2025 UK-EU Summit, where both sides agreed to deepen cooperation on shared security and public health priorities through enhanced information exchange on drug-related risks.

Commenting on the development, Sharon Hodgson, UK Minister for Public Health and Prevention, said the agreement would strengthen the ability of both parties to identify dangerous substances before they cause widespread harm while providing prevention and treatment services with timely intelligence. She added that the government remains committed to reducing drug-related harm and protecting communities from increasingly unpredictable drug threats.

Dr. Lorraine Nolan, Executive Director of the EUDA, described the agreement as a significant milestone in UK-EU cooperation, noting that rapidly evolving and interconnected drug markets require closer international collaboration. She said the framework would enhance data sharing, research cooperation and early-warning capabilities to better safeguard public health and security.

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said restoring information sharing with EU partners would strengthen efforts to disrupt organised criminal networks, reduce drug-related deaths and prevent dangerous substances from reaching communities, reinforcing the UK's broader strategy to combat illicit drug trafficking.