{"id":15045,"date":"2025-09-29T13:27:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T11:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/?p=15045"},"modified":"2025-10-02T11:25:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T09:25:09","slug":"our-collaboration-with-the-european-union-drugs-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/our-collaboration-with-the-european-union-drugs-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"Our collaboration with the European Union Drugs Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

When our collaboration with the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) wrapped up in March this year, it marked the end of nearly three years\u00a0 of hard work in the drugs field. But the story doesn\u2019t end there. Today, we are revisiting that journey and unveiling new resources, including a summary of the project results<\/a>\u00a0and a\u00a0video<\/u><\/a> capturing its added value. Here are some of the highlights under the four project components .<\/p>\n

Strengthening National Drug Observatories and Early Warning Systems<\/b><\/h3>\n

One of the project\u2019s biggest achievements was in strengthening National Drug Observatories (NDOs) and Early Warning Systems (EWS). Countries across the region boosted their capacity in innovative monitoring methods, such as wastewater analysis and web surveys, helping them gather better and more timely information on drug trends.<\/p>\n

A highlight came in\u00a0Jamaica<\/a>, where COPOLAD supported the launch of the country\u2019s first national EWS, a milestone for the country.<\/p>\n

Key EUDA EWS publications were translated into Spanish to support developments of this kind. Experts from across the LAC region also joined European counterparts in annual key indicator meetings, ensuring that data collection methods are becoming more comparable across regions. The project helped advance understanding of cannabis regulation by supporting policy evaluation in Uruguay and Jamaica and by updating a study that mapped out the changes in cannabis policies in the Americas and the evidence emerging from evaluations of their impact.<\/p>\n

Investing in prevention and health and social responses<\/b><\/h3>\n

The project also made important strides in demand reduction, with a focus on prevention and health and social responses. The\u00a0European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC)<\/u><\/a>\u00a0was adapted for the LAC context and delivered in three languages (see section \u2018Cultural adaptations\u2019 in English, Spanish and Portuguese<\/a>), in so doing training more than 230 professionals and creating a virtual community of practice that continues to exchange expertise. In Brazil, COPOLAD III launched\u00a0Evid\u00eancia Viva<\/a>, an online platform that gives practitioners access to evidence-based evaluated prevention interventions in Spanish and Portuguese.\u00a0Miniguides<\/a>\u00a0on health and social responses were adapted to address issues such as women and drugs and cannabis, while a series of webinars sparked dialogue on challenges faced in\u00a0prisons<\/a>\u00a0and by\u00a0women<\/a>. At the same time, the project opened doors for LAC professionals to engage with international peers, offering\u00a0bursaries<\/a>\u00a0for training opportunities and conferences in Europe, including the European Drugs Winter and Summer Schools.<\/p>\n

Tackling supply challenges together <\/b><\/h3>\n

On the supply side, the project addressed some of the region\u2019s most pressing drug market challenges. One event was an expert meeting on the\u00a0chemical concealment of cocaine<\/a>, leading to a technical report now available in several languages. Training delivered by the\u00a0EUDA and CEPOL<\/a>\u00a0strengthened the use of strategic analyses in decision-making. In addition, a mapping exercise involving 19 LAC countries, provided a comprehensive overview of regional forensic capacity.<\/p>\n