Final conclusions of the 55th meeting of Reitox Heads of Focal Points

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Update on key recent and future policy and institutional developments (Plenary Session II)

· New planning cycle/tools (SPD 2017–19 and 2018–20) were presented, with a special focus on how the EMCDDA took on board the comments of the NFPs (SPD 2017–19);

· Several (8) NFPs, including the EC FP, gave a brief update on recent developments and potential challenges for the future. During this discussion, the ‘medical cannabis’ issue raised a lot of interest and was mentioned as a potential topic for the 2017 RTX week;

· Ms Paola Mazzarini will be representing and attending the HFPs meetings (in replacement of Ms Elsa Maia) starting from November 2016;

· HNFP to consider providing a feedback to the EMCDDA about the document on cooperation with external partners, namely regarding the type of information, level of detail and other aspects related to the usefulness of the information for the network members.

Action points:

o The EMCDDA will consult in due time the NFPs in 2017 on the SPD (2018-2020) as in the previous years.

o The EMCDDA will consult the NFPs regarding the topics for the RTX week planned in November 2017.

EMCDDA and Reitox network long–term strategies (Plenary Session III)

· The rationale of the EMCDDA Strategy 2025 was presented, NFPs were positive with some concern about the concrete consequences on the NFPs workload and resources regarding the new developments under the ‘Security’ pillar. The 2025 strategy will be presented for adoption at the EMCDDA Management Board meeting mid-December 2016;

· Regarding the Reitox Development Framework (RDF), there was an agreement on the procedure for the conception and adoption of the document; the agreement includes the creation of a joint group EMCDDA /NFPs (Tim, Carlo and Viktor) to conceive and propose a draft RDF. The work will start in the 1st quarter of 2017, and will be discussed at a Technical Meeting of HNFP (Spring or Autumn). Then, the draft document will be presented to the whole Reitox Network.

Action points:

o Working group on the Reitox Development Framework to agree on a detailed timeline, including the date of the related technical meeting.

Reporting Package: Guidelines for 2017 Reporting: Workbooks, STs and SQs (Plenary Session IV)

· The revised workbooks for 2017 were discussed and some few additional comments from NFPs were made. Only few remained to be addressed in the 2017 revision of the workbooks. The overall workbooks revision process was clarified and agreed. The EMCDDA will check that the merge function of the new template 2017 and the filled-in WBs 2016 works well for the NFPs;

· The revised ST1 and ST 24 were adopted for implementation in 2017.

· The comprehensive revision of the SQ with view of better streamlining them with the workbooks will be organised in first half 2017. NFPs will be associated to this exercise.

· The EMCDDA will carefully consider requests to FPs avoiding as much as possible conflicting deadlines; Dates for the EMCDDA feedback on the WB 2016 will be communicated soon (the feedback will be sent 1st semester in any case);

· The ‘guidelines for 2017 national reporting’ includes the templates of 10 mandatory workbooks and the list of standard tables and structured questionnaires (for submission in Fonte). They were adopted with the following caveats:

o The document will be updated with practical information and some technical requirements;

· Deadlines for next year submission: 29 September (Fonte) and 31 October 2017 (workbooks);

· The EMCDDA will look at streamlining the templates of the national abstracts sent in the margins of the KI meetings and WBs, to avoid overlaps;

Action points:

o The EMCDDA to inform NFPs when the final guidelines for the national reporting 2017 are made available on the RTX extranet (within 2 weeks after the meeting).

o The EMCDDA will communicate on the planning of the requests to the NFPs as soon as possible.

Reporting Package: Reporting issues and updates 1 (Plenary Session V)

· An update on seizures data collection was provided, comparing 2015 and 2016 data collections. More countries are reporting data by market level and information on routes (origin - transit - destination). More data is available in general and good progress is being achieved incrementally;

· Proposals for revised Prices and Purity/Potency and tablet content drug supply indicators were presented as well as purity-adjusted prices and the concept of 'value' at national level. The proposals for revised indicators were adopted during the session VI. The revised ST14 (merge of ST 14 and ST 15) and ST16 will be used for data collection in 2017 (the data from 2016);

· An analysis was presented on the data collection on Drug Law Offences, comparing the EMCDDA and EC-Eurostat data. Member States were provided with individual feedback and bilateral dialogue was initiated. The EMCDDA will follow-up by writing individually to each HNFP providing the figures of comparison of EMCDDA and Eurostat data for 2014, EMCDDA's analysis of the issue and the contact details of the Eurostat data provider in the Member State for progressing at national level with the EMCDDA support where needed;

· Brief updates were provided on development work ongoing in the Markets, Crime and Supply team: precursors, drug-related violence, composite indicators and dark net monitoring. Focal points were encouraged to provide ideas for development in the area of supply;

· The EMCDDA agreed to keep the HNFP informed of developments relating to the Reference Group on Drug Supply Indicators.

Action points:

o The EMCDDA will follow-up with the NFPs on the Drug Law offences data and provide support whenever needed.

Reporting issues and updates 2 (Plenary Session VI)

· NFPs expressed their interest in being consulted on the ‘Prevention systems’ publication;

· The EMCDDA clarified that for the 2^ndround of the European Web survey on drugs, the priority is still to collect data on recreational drugs but future modules might address other drugs later on. The EMCCDA will inform the interested NFPs if any financial support for implementation becomes available;

· NFPs welcomed the stronger coordination role of the EMCDDA in ESPAD;

· NFPs acknowledged the progress made regarding the DRD indicator;

· Information on the trendspotter project was presented and AT showed interest in being involved in the next trendspotter exercise next year.

· The workplan on the quality standards in demand reduction was shared, it included details regarding the 1^stupcoming meeting on the topic (12/12/2016);

· The outcomes of the project on the European Drug Questionnaire in Prison were presented; NFPs have until 31/12/2016 to send their comments on the current documents which will become final end of January 2017; the revision of ST12 will be done in 2017 and presented for adoption by the NFPs in November 2017.

Action points:

o The EMCDDA to send the Prevention system document to the NFPs for voluntary feedback (in early 2017).

o NFPs interested in the web survey (2^ndround) should contact the EMCDDA.

o NFPs to send their comments on the EDQP by 31/12/2016.

EMCDDA outputs, meetings and projects highlights (Plenary Session VII)

· The plans for the EDR, CDR and EDDR 2017 were presented, including respective launches and focus on implications for the FPs:

o EDR: Launch planned for early June, Consultation foreseen for 10–24 February; there will be no new PODs, only update of some 8 to 10 of existing PODs;

o CDR: the CDR replaces the country overview, so these are 30 new products to be launched. Mark I; Launch will be aligned with EDR; Rolling consultation (batches) in order to ensure feasibility. Mid-January to early February. i.e. before consultation on the EDR. The CDR 2017 will not be translated by EMCDDA to national languages, but COM team can provide some help to NFPs willing to translate the product, once the CDR will be launched. More substantial changes on the CDR can be considered for 2018;

o EDRR (will have a different name): Focus on health and social responses; Policy and practitioner audience. Launch at LX addictions end of October 2017; Implications for NFPs: no additional tasks envisaged; Feedback on more detail at the next HNFP meeting.

Action points:

o The EMCDDA will inform the NFPs about the final consultation planning as soon as possible.

RTX network – Grants and accreditation (Plenary Session VIII)

· The amount of the EMCDDA contribution to the grants will remain the same as last year provided approval of the 2017 budget by the MB in December;

· The FAR for 2017 was adopted;

· The EMCDDA will look at streamlining the templates of the national abstracts sent in the margins of the KI meetings and the FAR, to avoid overlaps;

· The self-assessment questionnaire and the accreditation system was presented and discussed. The proposal for a pilot project for Accreditation was overall adopted by the NFPs. However a request to find an alternative name to ‘accreditation’ was made by the NFPs;

Action points:

o The EMCCDA will send the grant agreement application within one week after the meeting;

o NFPs will have to send back the original application to the grants by post no later than 31/1/2017;

o NFPs will have until mid-January to send their comments on the accreditation system and inform The EMCDDA on their willingness to pilot the self-assessment questionnaire in 2017. The EMCCDA will send an email to the NFPs on this issue.

RTX network – Horizontal issues and other cross-cooperation projects (Plenary Session IX)

· The current state of the art regarding the reporting to the UNODC was discussed. NFPs are differently involved and responsible towards the ARQ, i.e. there is no unique model. The EMCDDA can count on the NFPs support if deemed necessary, in the ongoing negotiation on the ARQ with UNODC. However the EMCDDA Management Board might need to be involved in this process as it might be politically sensitive;

· EU research projects: a state of play of major EC-funded drug-related research projects was presented by the EMCDDA and the EC;

· The participation of the Reitox network at the Lx addictions conference was discussed. There was an agreement that for more visibility of the Reitox Network at the conference, it would be better to have a special RTX session included in the scientific programme (following the regular abstract submission and selection procedures) rather than to propose a side event (separate and easier process).

· Action points:

o The EMCDDA to keep NFPs updated on new upcoming research projects.

Reitox meetings in 2018

The next Reitox meetings in 2017 will be organised as follows:

· 57^thReitox meeting of the Heads of Focal Points: 30–31 May (Conference Centre) and 1 June 2017 (room CdS 107);

· 6^thReitox Week and 56^thReitox meeting of the Heads of Focal Points: 28–30 November and 1 December 2017.