Proposal for a Council Implementing Decision on subjecting the new psychoactive substance furanylfentanyl 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 the submission of a new psychoactive substance to control measures across the Union.

On 23 January 2017 a joint report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol was issued. On 28 February 2017, following the request made by the Commission and 9 Member States, the Council requested an assessment of the risks caused by the use, manufacture and trafficking of the new psychoactive substance furanylfentanyl, the involvement of organised crime and the possible consequences of control measures introduced on this substance.

The risks of furanylfentanyl were assessed by the Scientific Committee of the EMCDDA. The Chair of the Scientific Committee submitted the risk assessment report to the Commission and to the Council on 24 May 2017. The main results of the risk assessment are the following:
- Furanylfentanyl is a synthetic opioid, closely related to fentanyl which is internationally controlled.
- Furanylfentanyl has been available in the European Union since at least June 2015 and has been detected in 16 Member States. 23 deaths associated with furanylfentanyl have been reported by 5 Member States. In at least 10 deaths furanylfentanyl was the cause of death or is likely to have contributed to the death.

Based on the findings of the risk assessment report, the Commission considers that there are grounds for subjecting this substance to control measures across the Union. According to the risk assessment report, the acute toxicity of furanylfentanyl is such that it can cause severe harms to the health of individuals.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2017)367: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2017:367:FIN

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