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.

EU institutions have reached agreement on the revision of pharmaceutical legislation, marking the first comprehensive update in over two decades. The direction is now set, although formal adoption will follow later in the process.

A new article published in European Neuropsychopharmacology provides a critical assessment of what psychedelic therapies would need in order to be integrated into European healthcare systems. While regulatory approval from the EMA will be necessary, the authors stress that Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies across Europe will ultimately determine whether these therapies are reimbursed and accessible.

Only days after PAREA called for a European mental health moonshot, the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced a $100 million mental health moonshot aimed at accelerating leading-edge treatments and developing more objective measures in behavioural health. 

Psilocybin Therapy for Psychological Distress in Palliative Care Patients (PsyPal) - the first EU-funded clinical trial of psychedelic therapy - is now underway and actively recruiting participants across its four trial sites in Copenhagen, Groningen, Lisbon and Prague. 

PAREA is pleased to welcome the Women’s Brain Foundation as a new full member. Their membership helps put greater focus on ensuring that sex and gender differences are systematically recognised and addressed across mental health and psychedelic research, policy, and clinical innovation in Europe.

At an event today in Brussels, the Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA) launched its new policy paper, From Lagging to Leading: A Policy Toolkit for Mental Health Innovation “Made in Europe”.

This new initiative aims to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in biotechnology - a field increasingly recognised as strategic for Europe’s economic sovereignty, innovation leadership, and resilience. The consultation invited stakeholders to identify barriers in the EU’s regulatory and investment environment and propose actions to unlock the next wave of biotech innovation.