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Combating drug trafficking and addiction is one of the most complex challenges facing European institutions, which must contend with transnational criminal organizations, constantly evolving substance markets, and increasingly multifaceted health and social consequences. It is against this backdrop that a high-level international meeting on addiction prevention and recovery—promoted by Italy and France—took place on October 23, 2026, at the San Patrignano community in Emilia-Romagna. The initiative, aimed at strengthening political and institutional cooperation, concluded with the adoption of the ECAD Declaration on addiction prevention and recovery. This event marked a significant milestone for the European Coalition Against Drugs (ECAD), which was established on October 2, 2025, at the initiative of Italy and France. The project had been proposed just over a year earlier in Copenhagen, during a meeting of the European Political Community, with the goal of overcoming the fragmentation of national interventions and creating an operational tool to address a threat that transcends borders and demands coordinated responses. A subsequent meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, on May 4, 2026, identified three primary areas for action: countering illicit trafficking, targeting the assets of criminal organizations, and strengthening policies for prevention, treatment, and recovery. The meeting at San Patrignano focused, in particular, on this final area.
ITALY AS A PROMOTER OF AN INTEGRATED RESPONSE
Italy’s stance in this matter is defined by its proactive political role and its willingness to share the experience it has gained at the national level with other countries. Rome does not merely support international coordination against drug trafficking; rather, it proposes a model in which law enforcement efforts are complemented by measures focused on prevention, support, and social reintegration. The decision to host the meeting at San Patrignano—an organization with a long-standing history in addiction recovery—helps to highlight this approach. In her address, Meloni presented Italy’s policies as a wealth of experience to be shared with European partners. Consequently, the cooperation fostered through the ECAD aims to ensure greater coherence among national strategies and to strengthen the links between political institutions, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, healthcare services, and civil society organizations.
MARITIME ROUTES AND COMBATING CRIMINAL PROFITS
The first area of focus identified by the coalition concerns the illicit trafficking of narcotic substances, with particular attention to maritime routes. According to data cited by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, approximately 80% of the drugs entering Europe illegally arrive by sea. Consequently, controlling ports, coordinating maritime presence, and adapting surveillance activities to the new technologies employed by traffickers are operational priorities. The second pillar concerns the financial assets of traffickers. In this regard, Meloni invoked the legacy of Italian anti-mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, emphasizing the importance of tracking financial movements to identify and weaken criminal structures. The principle of “following the money” translates into a need to increase seizures and confiscations, strengthen financial cooperation, and improve the capacity to monitor transactions—including those conducted via cryptocurrencies.
NEW SUBSTANCES, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND VULNERABILITIES AMONG THE YOUNG
The third area of focus, which was central to the meeting in San Patrignano, concerns the transformation of the drug market and the impact of new substances on public health. According to the analysis presented by Meloni, the substances available today differ from those prevalent decades ago in terms of potency, cost, and ease of access. Furthermore, in some contexts, drug consumption is perceived as socially acceptable, creating a risk that the individual and collective consequences may be underestimated. A particularly significant issue is the speed at which new synthetic substances are developed and distributed. The use of artificial intelligence can facilitate the creation of new molecules, which may reach the market before they are identified by the authorities, classified as narcotics, and added to the official schedules that define them as illegal. The gap between innovation within the illicit market and the capacity for regulatory response thus poses a challenge for both national and European institutions.
THE ITALIAN MODEL: PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND RECOVERY
In outlining the national response, Meloni highlighted a series of measures that the government considers central to strengthening the system for combating addiction. According to the Prime Minister, more than 210 million euros have been allocated to the national system for 2026. Another key element is the reinforcement of the National Early Warning System on Drugs, which is tasked with identifying new substances and emerging patterns of consumption, and relaying the necessary information to the relevant authorities so that they can intervene before emergency situations arise. The strategy also addresses the intersection of addiction and the criminal justice system. Meloni noted the passage of a law designed to expand and simplify the process by which individuals struggling with substance abuse—who have committed crimes linked to their drug use—can serve their entire sentence, or the remainder of it, within a therapeutic community.
THE ECAD DECLARATION: COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR A EUROPEAN POLICY
The document adopted on October 23, 2026, by representatives of the countries participating in the European Coalition Against Drugs (ECAD) establishes a shared framework for political and institutional responsibility. The text assigns a central role to evidence-based prevention and calls on governments to support policies that integrate information, assistance, treatment, personal recovery, and social, educational, and professional reintegration. Furthermore, the declaration emphasizes that access to care must be guaranteed without discrimination or barriers. Pathways to recovery must be personalized and tailored to individual needs, with particular attention given to vulnerable populations and those living in crisis or conflict settings, where the risk of developing an addiction may be exacerbated. Recovery is defined as an ongoing process, aimed also at preventing relapse, strengthening personal and interpersonal skills, and fostering a fulfilling social, educational, and professional life. To achieve these goals, the document calls for continuity of care and collaboration among health and social services, families, educational institutions, civil society organizations, and local communities. The declaration also references the joint act of October 2, 2025, which established ECAD, and reaffirms the need to operate in alignment with the European Union’s strategic framework on drugs and its associated priorities.
A COMMON AGENDA BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED NATIONS
The scope of this initiative extends beyond coordination among the countries belonging to the coalition. The declaration identifies international cooperation as an essential tool for combating drug trafficking, coordinating police forces and judicial authorities along drug routes, and developing appropriate responses to shifts in the market. At the same time, the importance of research and data collection is underscored as a means to guide public policy and address emerging challenges—including through the development of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for substance use disorders. The signatories commit to advancing national policies aligned with these agreed-upon principles and to continuing their cooperation via the ECAD (European Cities Against Drugs). The goal is to bring these guidelines into multilateral forums, including the United Nations and the upcoming meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna. In her remarks, Meloni also highlighted collaboration with the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the Council of Europe. Italy’s position reflects a commitment to helping shape an integrated European approach—one that combines law enforcement efforts against criminal activity with health-focused prevention and social reintegration. The challenge lies in translating the declaration’s principles into shared operational tools capable of rapidly adapting to market shifts and ensuring the continuity of care. In this context, the meeting’s core political message is that the fight against drugs cannot be left to any single agency or instrument. Combating criminal profits, cooperating along international trafficking routes, disseminating scientific information, and supporting individuals struggling with addiction are all interdependent components of a unified strategy. Italy aims to solidify its role in championing this approach, based on the conviction that prevention and inter-state collaboration are essential to safeguarding public health, security, and the social cohesion of European societies.