1999/615/JHA: Council Decision of 13 September 1999 defining 4-MTA as a new synthetic drug which is to be made subject to control measures and criminal penalties
Date: 1999-09-13
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU control, EU law - national law, narcotic, national implementing measure, new product, penalty

16. 9. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 244/1

(Acts adopted pursuant to Title VI of the Treaty on European Union)

COUNCIL DECISION

of 13 September 1999

defining 4-MTA as a new synthetic drug which is to be made subject to control measures and
criminal penalties

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(6)

(1999/615/JHA)

4-MTA should be subjected by the Member states to
control measures and criminal penalties, as provided for
under their legislation complying with their obligations
under the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psycho-
tropic Substances with respect to substances listed in
Schedules I or II thereto,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Member States shall take the necessary measures, in accordance
with their national law, to submit 4-MTA (P-Methylthioamphe-
tamine or 4-Methylthioamphetamine) to control measures and
criminal penalties, as provided for under
legislation
complying with their obligations under
the 1971 United
Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances with respect
to substances listed in Schedules I or II thereto.

their

Article 2

Member States shall, in accordance with the third subparagraph
of Article 5(1) of Joint Action 97/396/JHA, take the measures
referred to in Article 1 within three months of the date on
which this Decision takes effect.

Article 3

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal.

It shall take effect on the day following that of its piblication.

Done at Brussels, 13 September 1999.

For the Council

The President

T. HALONEN

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union,

Having regard to Joint Action 97/396/JHA of 16 June 1997
concerning the information exchange, risk assessment and the
control of new synthetic drugs (1), and in particular Article 5(1)
thereof,

Having regard to the initiative of the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

A report was drawn up, on the basis of Article 4(3) of
Joint Action 97/396/JHA, by the European Monitoring
Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) on the
risk assessment of 4-MTA (P-Methylthioamphetamine or
4-Methylthioamphetamine);

4-MTA is an amphetamine derivative which appears to
carry a higher risk of acute effects than MDMA (3,4-
methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
adverse
reactions and overdosage. In the European Union, it has
been associated with a number of deaths and non-fatal
cases requiring hospitalisation;

including

4-MTA has been identified as constituting a public
health risk in serval Member States. It is at the moment
subject to control

in two Member States;

4-MTA is a potent psychoactive agent not currently
listed in any of
the Schedules to the 1971 United
Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances which
poses a serious threat to public health, comparable to
the substances listed in Schedules I or II thereto and has
no apparent therapeutic value;

In some Member States, the trafficking of 4-MTA in
combination with other
illegal substances has been
discovered;

(1) OJ L 167, 25.6.1997, p. 1.