Proposal for a Council Decision on defining 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP) as a new synthetic drug which is to be made subject to control measures and criminal provisions
Date: 2007-07-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: narcotic, national law, penalty, public health

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 17.7.2007 
COM(2007) 430 final 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

On defining 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP) as a new synthetic drug which is to be made 
subject to control measures and criminal provisions 

(presented by the Commission) 

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Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

On defining 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP) as a new synthetic drug which is to be made 
subject to control measures and criminal provisions 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Union, 

Having regard to the Decision 2005/387/JHA of 10 May 2005 on the information exchange, 
risk-assessment and control  of new psychoactive substances1, and in particular Article  8 (1) 
thereof,  

Having regard to the initiative of the Commission,  

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

A Risk Assessment Report on 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP) was drawn up on the basis of 
Article 6 of the Council Decision 2005/387/JHA by a special session of the extended 
Scientific  Committee  of  the  European  Monitoring  Centre  for  Drugs  and  Drug 
Addiction and subsequently submitted to the Council and the Commission on 31 May 
2007.  

BZP is a synthetic substance; it was first reported in the European Union in 1999. Like 
amphetamine  and  methamphetamine,  BZP  is  a central  nervous system stimulant, but 
with a much lower potency (around 10% of that of d-amphetamine). The metabolism 
of  BZP  may  be  affected  by  genetic  polymorphisms  in  enzyme  systems  leading  to  a 
wide inter-individual susceptibility to the effects of BZP. There is also a potential for 
interactions  with  other  drugs,  but  overall  there  is  a  lack  of  human  pharmacokinetic 
data. 

In  some  Member  States  BZP  is  legally  available  from  retail  chemical  suppliers;  for 
recreational  purposes  it  is  sold  as  tablets  and  capsules  via  internet  sites  or  in  some 
Member States in 'smart/ herbal shops'. On the illicit drugs market, BZP may also be 
sold/ bought as the popular drug ecstasy. 

Thirteen Member States and one Third State (Norway) have reported seizures of BZP 
in  powder,  capsules  or  tablets,  ranging  from  1  capsule/tablet  up  to  64,900  tablets. 
There  is  little  information  that  may  suggest  large-scale  synthesis,  processing  or 
distribution of BZP, and the involvement of organised crime. 

1 

OJ L 127, 20.5.2005, p. 32. 

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(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

BZP has no established and acknowledged medical value; there are no known licensed 
medicinal products containing BZP in the European Union. 

BZP is currently not under assessment and has not been under assessment by the UN 
system.  In  five  Member  States,  BZP  is  subjected  to  control  measures  and  criminal 
penalties  as  provided  under  their  legislation  by  virtue  of  their  obligations  under  the 
1961  or  1971  UN  Conventions.  Two  Member  States  apply  control  measures  to  BZP 
under their medicines legislation.  

BZP has been found in post mortem samples. However, the extent to which BZP was 
implicated  in  the  deaths  is  not  known  as  in  all  cases  other  substances  or  other 
circumstances were involved. 

The  Risk  Assessment  reveals  a  lack  of  conclusive  scientific  evidence  on  the  overall 
risks  of  BZP.  However,  due  to  its  stimulant  properties,  risk  to  health,  the  lack  of 
medical benefits and following the precautionary principle, there is a need to control 
BZP, but the control measures should be appropriate to the relatively low risks of the 
substance.  

(9) 

Placing  1-benzylpiperazine  under  control  may  help  avoid  problems  in  international 
law enforcement and judicial cooperation. 

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:  

Article 1 

1-benzylpiperazine 

Member  States  shall  take  the  necessary  measures,  in  accordance  with  their  national  law,  to 
submit 
1-benzyl-1,4-diazacyclohexane,  N-
benzylpiperazine  or  –  less  precisely  –  as  benzylpiperazine  or  BZP)  to  control  measures, 
proportionate to the risks of the substance, and criminal penalties, as provided for under their 
legislation  complying  with  their  obligations  under  the  1971  United  Nations  Convention  on 
Psychotropic Substances. 

known 

(also 

as 

Article 2 

This decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.  

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

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

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