Proposal for a Council Decision on submitting 4-methylamphetamine to control measures

Council Decision 2005/387/JHA on the information exchange, risk-assessment and control of new psychoactive substances provides for a three-step procedure that may lead to submission of a new psychoactive substance to control measures in the Union.

On 24 September 2012 and pursuant to Article 6 of the Council Decision, the Council formally requested a risk assessment on the psychoactive substance 4-methylamphetamine, to be carried out by the extended Scientific Committee of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

Although the scientific evidence concerning the overall risks and patterns of use of 4-methylamphetamine is still limited at this stage, there are grounds for subjecting the substance to control across the Union. The main reason is that, according to the available information from the Risk Assessment Report, the substance poses risks to health. These risks are heightened by the fact that 4-methylamphetamine is often sold as amphetamine or in combination with amphetamine or other substances, and that most users are unaware that they are consuming this specific substance.

Furthermore, taking into account that organised crime appears to be involved in the manufacture, trafficking and supply of 4-methylamphetamine and given the similarity of this substance with amphetamine, the possibility that 4-methylamphetamine develops as an alternative to amphetamine further justifies subjecting the substance to control measures.

The objective of this proposal for a Council Decision is to call upon Member States to submit 4-methylamphetamine to control measures and criminal penalties as provided under their legislation by virtue of their obligations under the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)39: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:039:FIN

ESO: Background information: Commission calls for EU-wide ban on amphetamine-like drug '4-MA' http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-commission-calls-for-eu-wide-ban-on-amphetamine-like-drug-4-ma/

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