REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL Called for by the Joint Action on New Synthetic Drugs (97/396/JAI) concerning 2C-I

1. On the 8th of April 2003 the European Commission received from the EMCDDA the report on the risk assessment of 2C-I (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine). The report is called: "Report on the Risk Assessment of 2C-I in the Framework of the Joint Action on New Synthetic Drugs". The risk assessment report was established following a meeting from 31 March 2003 to 1 April 2003 of the Scientific Committee of the EMCDDA and experts nominated by the Member States, representatives of the Commission, Europol and the EMEA. The risk assessment was requested by the Horizontal Drugs Group of 12 December 2002, in the framework of the Joint Action on New Synthetic Drugs of 16 June 1997. 2C-I was officially notified as a new synthetic drug under Article 3 of the Joint Action on New Synthetic Drugs in May 2002.

2. Article 5 of the Joint Action states that following the establishment of the report there can either be an initiative presented to the Council within a month to make the new synthetic drug subject to measures of control, or "if the Commission deems it not necessary to present an initiative it shall present a report to the Council explaining its views".

3. Article 1 of the Joint Action states that the Joint Action "aims at the creation of a mechanism for rapid exchange of information on new synthetic drugs and the assessment of their risks in order to permit the application of the measures of control on psychotropic substances, applicable in the Member States, equally to new synthetic drugs".

4. Art 4 (1) of the Joint Action states that "at the request of one of the Member States or the Commission, the EMCDDA shall convene a special meeting under the auspices of the Scientific Committee extended with experts nominated by the Member States and to which representatives of the Commission, the EDU and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products shall be invited. This committee shall assess the possible risks, including the health and social risks, caused by the use of, and traffic in, new synthetic drugs, and possible consequences of prohibition".

5. The Commission has considered the conclusions of the report and notes the following:

5.1. The synthesis of 2C-I is described in the book "PIHKAL" by the American chemist Shulgin. The method is extensive, requiring specialist equipment and an appropriate environment. At present 2C-I has no medical or industrial use.

5.2. There have been no reported deaths or instances of non-fatal intoxication involving 2C-I.

5.3. There is no information available that would suggest large-scale production, distribution of, and/ or trafficking in 2C-I or a role of organised crime in these activities. Two Member States reported both on one case in 1999 of the production of limited quantities of 2C-I in small kitchen-type laboratories.

5.4. Four Member States reported on seizures of 2C-I, which were very small, both in terms of numbers and seized quantities. Two of these seizures related to the seized kitchen-type facilities referred to in 5.4. The last seizure took place in 2002.

5.5. At present there are no animal or human data concerning general toxicity, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity or the mutagenicity and carcinogenic potential of 2C-I.

5.6. There is currently no evidence of negative social consequences nor is there specific evidence on the consequences of the use of 2C-I that could be linked to disorderly conduct, acquisitive crime or violence.

6. Basing itself solely on the risk assessment report on 2C-I and the principle of proportionality, the Commission concludes that it is not appropriate to present an initiative to the Council to propose that 2C-I be submitted to control measures at the EU level, as provided for by Article 5(1) of the Joint Action on New Synthetic Drugs. But the Commission will encourage the EMCDDA and Europol to continue monitoring trends in recreational use of 2C-I as part of the early warning system provided for in the Joint Action, and to inform the Horizontal Drugs Group should they find new elements, particularly evidence of a threat to public health or of a social risk.