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EU Launches Drugs Strategy and Trafficking Crackdown With Satellites, AI and Tighter Precursor Rules

The plan shifts EU efforts to a coordinated, tech-driven response led by Frontex alongside the EU Drugs Agency.

The European Commission wants better coordination against new drugs flooding the continent

Overview

  • Frontex will get high-resolution satellites and drones to detect and disrupt smuggling at the EU’s external borders.
  • Customs services will work with parcel carriers using AI to scan mail, with a new EU Ports Strategy to strengthen port security.
  • The EU Drugs Agency will identify novel substances, issue rapid alerts, and build EU-wide databases on synthetic drugs and production incidents.
  • Updated precursor rules add real-time seizure reporting, a fast-track for controls, and a ban on designer precursors while digitizing legitimate trade procedures.
  • The action plan sets operational steps including expanding MAOC-N, countering go-fast vessels, bolstering Europol’s online monitoring, launching a 2026 Security and Innovation Campus, and creating a platform to deter youth recruitment.