The Psychedelic Lived Experiences Initiative is dedicated to elevating patient and participant voices in psychedelic care, grounded in the conviction that lived experience constitutes genuine expertise. Its work spans advocacy, community building, and education.

PAREA has submitted its contribution to the European Commission’s consultation on the EU4Health 2027 Work Programme. Established in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, EU4Health is the EU’s flagship health funding programme, designed to strengthen the European Health Union, improve health system resilience, and support common health priorities across Member States.

PAREA has submitted formal recommendations to the European Commission’s public consultation on the upcoming European Biotech Act, urging policymakers to ensure that mental health innovation is explicitly reflected in one of the EU’s most important emerging health and industrial policy initiatives.

PAREA's annual Impact Report, compiling all our activities, contributions and achievements for the year of 2025, is now available! 2025 was a year of clear acceleration for psychedelic therapies and mental health innovation across Europe, and PAREA played a central role in shaping the policy landscape.

On 7 May 2026, PAREA convened the first European Forum of National Psychedelic Societies in Brussels, bringing together representatives of organisations from 25 countries working on psychedelic research, policy, and access across Europe.

On 6 May 2026, policymakers, clinicians, researchers, veterans, and civil society representatives gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels for a timely discussion on mental health care in Ukraine and the role that evidence-based psychedelic therapies may play in addressing war-related trauma.

The French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) announced its decision to establish compassionate access to generic ketamine for patients in suicidal crisis.

These past days, we’ve been at the 34th European Psychiatric Association Congress in Prague, themed “Mental Health: Improving Care and Expanding Horizons”. At our dedicated PAREA stand, we engaged with clinicians and professionals interested in exploring the role of psychedelic therapies in mental health care.

A psychedelic compound, bretisilocin, has entered the European Medicines Agency’s PRIME (Priority Medicines) scheme for the treatment of major depressive disorder. This marks a notable development for psychedelic research and regulatory engagement in Europe.

The 69th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs took place at the Vienna International Centre in Austria from 9 to 13 March, bringing together governments, international organisations, researchers, and civil society to discuss global drug policy.

Founded in 2022 by Dr Grace Blest Hopley, Hystelica is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing psychedelic science for women. Its work focuses on research, advocacy, and education to ensure that women’s health and female biology are meaningfully considered in the development of psychedelic medicine.

On February 17, Compass Pathways released topline data from its second Phase 3 trial, COMP006. The trial enrolled 581 participants and administered two doses of COMP360 25 mg, 10mg or 1 mg, administered three weeks apart.

On February 13, 2026, Spain’s Congress of Deputies hosted its first parliamentary conference dedicated to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies. Held in the Ernest Lluch Chamber, the four hour event marked a shift from peripheral debate to institutional engagement.

Please save the date for an upcoming public webinar on addressing psychological distress in palliative care, centred on the EU-funded PsyPal project (Psilocybin Therapy for Psychological Distress in Palliative Care Patients).

Please save the date for an upcoming European Parliament event on psychedelic research and access in Ukraine, taking place on 6 May, 1:00–3:00 pm, hosted by MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis. The meeting is co-organised by PAREA, the MEP Action Group on Psychedelics in Healthcare, and the Ukrainian Psychedelic Research Association.

Under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, a high-level conference on mental health and inclusiveness was held in Nicosia, bringing together representatives from several dozen national health ministries, EU institutions, and WHO Europe. A small number of civil society organisations were also invited, including PAREA, signalling increased openness to diverse perspectives in EU mental health debates.

PAREA has contributed to the European Commission’s public consultation on the European Research Area (ERA) Act, a legislative initiative aimed at strengthening Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem, reducing fragmentation, and boosting EU competitiveness.

Norrsken Mind has awarded EUR 1.1 million in 2025 to support eight psychedelic research and non profit initiatives across Europe. The funding covers clinical research, evidence generation, research infrastructure, practitioner training, and policy work linked to future implementation.

European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen has responded to a joint letter sent by PAREA and Members of the European Parliament Action Group on Psychedelics in Healthcare, represented by MEP Tilly Metz. The letter focused on the importance of mental health innovation in upcoming EU funding and competitiveness priorities, with a key ask to launch an EU Mental Health Moonshot.

PAREA is a co-signatory of a joint call by 38 health and patient organisations urging EU Member States to safeguard funding for health and civil society in Europe. Civil society plays a central role in EU health policy, yet recent years have shown how vulnerable it becomes when sustainable support is withdrawn.