The EU Drugs Agency (EUDA) has released its annual European Drug Report, focusing on emerging trends in the European drug market. It includes a chapter on the growing interest in psychedelics for therapeutic use.

The Czech Parliament has passed a significant law allowing psilocybin therapy for mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a rapid communication on its forthcoming guideline on controlled medicines, designed to support national policies that strike a balance between access and safety. PAREA was honoured to be invited to join the External Review Group for this new guideline.

A new European research network focused on psychedelics has been approved for funding under the COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) programme.

New PAREA Policy Paper: “Leading, not Lagging: Putting Mental Health at the Core of Europe’s Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda.”

On May 12, the Champalimaud Foundation hosted the official launch of Portugal’s Multidisciplinary Recommendations on the Clinical Use of Psychedelic Substances.

In April, PAREA Project Officer Francisca Silva took part in Breaking Convention - one of Europe’s largest and most diverse conferences on psychedelic research.

As part of the EU-funded PsyPal project, our Founder and Executive Director, Tadeusz Hawrot, recently participated in a two-day Design Thinking Workshop hosted by IESE Business School in Barcelona.

PAREA has provided feedback on the European Commission’s initiative for a new multidisciplinary life sciences strategy, emphasising a clear message: mental health innovation should be a strategic priority on the agenda.

In a joint open letter from the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance (CSA) to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, 35 organisations — including PAREA — urge the European Commission to take immediate action to secure stable and timely funding for health civil society organisations (CSOs).

PAREA’s annual Impact Report, compiling all our activities, contributions and achievements for the year of 2024, is now available!

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published the third revision of its “Guideline on the clinical investigation of medicinal products for the treatment of depression”, set to take effect in September 2025.

Last week, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health took an important step toward enabling scientific research with psychedelics. Two key draft documents were published for public consultation, laying the foundation for legal psychedelic research in Ukraine—something that, not long ago, would have seemed entirely out of reach.

Mental health is critically important to everyone, everywhere. Yet, it stands out as an area with some of the most glaring unmet needs. Psychedelic therapies have the potential to address critical gaps in treatment for various mental health conditions in Europe. However, before reaching patients, they must first gain approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), followed by integration into national healthcare systems for accessibility and reimbursement.

The EU4Health Civil Society Alliance has publicly shared concerns over the ongoing lack of information on the EU4Health work programme and operating grants for 2025 - apprehensions shared by PAREA.

PAREA welcomes the Warsaw Declaration, adopted this week under the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union. This declaration underscores the need for strong, independent funding for R&I to tackle Europe’s most pressing challenges.

We are delighted to welcome Emma Christersson as the new Vice-Chair of the PAREA Board! As Co-Managing Director of Norrsken Mind, Emma brings vast expertise from the psychedelic research and nonprofit sectors, invaluable for our mission to shape the future of these treatments in Europe.

PAREA is a co-signatory on today’s EU4Health Civil Society Alliance (CSA) Joint Statement expressing concerns over new restrictions on civil society organisations (CSOs) engaging in policy and advocacy activities, which could set a precedent for the health sector.

On February 6, more than 100 attendees gathered at the European Parliament, marking the official re-launch of our MEP Action Group on Psychedelics in Healthcare and the launch of the PsychedeliCare European Citizens’ Initiative year-long signature-collection campaign.

The annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, has long been a key gathering where global leaders in business, policy, and advocacy come together to address pressing global challenges. The 2025 discussions, which took place in the week of 20th January, focused on themes of collaboration, economic transformation, and sustainability, with mental health gaining significant recognition as a critical issue in shaping the future of societies and economies.