New ARIEN research explores the evolving EU landscape of New Psychoactive Substances

A new research paper developed in the context of ARIEN by project partner CENTRIC examines the evolving challenges posed by New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) across Europe and their implications for law enforcement.

Entitled New psychoactive substances: The current EU landscape, the paper by Gabriela Boneva, Luke Bates and Babak Akhgar addresses a rapidly changing phenomenon characterised by the continuous emergence of new substances, changing chemical compositions and complex legal and operational challenges.

NPS are substances designed or used as alternatives to controlled drugs and can evolve rapidly in response to regulatory and enforcement measures. This makes their identification, monitoring and control particularly challenging. The paper reviews the current criminological landscape surrounding NPS, including their prevalence, concealment and distribution methods, online presence, potential health impacts and the difficulties faced by authorities in detecting and responding to them.

Combining research with practitioner perspectives

The study adopts a two-part research methodology. An extensive desk-based literature review is complemented by written consultations with subject-matter experts from European law enforcement agencies and postal services.

These consultations provided operational perspectives on the prevalence of NPS, trafficking and detection practices, technological capabilities and the challenges encountered by practitioners. Experts from Albania, Kosovo, the Republic of Moldova, Slovenia and the United Kingdom contributed to the research.

Among the issues considered are the increasing role of online environments and encrypted communication platforms, the use of postal and courier services, the difficulties created by rapidly changing substances and the impact of differing national regulatory approaches.

Key challenges for detection and cooperation

The research highlights how the constantly evolving nature of NPS can make traditional detection and investigative methods less effective. Differences in national legislation and substance-control mechanisms can also complicate international cooperation, particularly when a substance is regulated differently across jurisdictions.

The expert consultations further underline the importance of maintaining up-to-date technical capabilities, improving specialised knowledge and strengthening cooperation between law enforcement agencies, postal services and other relevant actors.

The paper concludes that responding effectively to NPS requires not only improved detection and monitoring, but also stronger intelligence exchange, greater awareness of emerging risks and more coordinated approaches across national and European levels.

The research was conducted as part of ARIEN – Artificial Intelligence in fighting illicit drugs production and traffickiNg, co-funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe.

The paper is available on ARIEN Zenodo Community