European Parliament members met on Wednesday at their headquarters in France and established a new group dedicated to advancing the field of clinical psychedelics in Europe.
The newly launched Members of the European Parliament (MEP) Action Group for the Medical Use of Psychedelics is intended to serve as an educational resource for policymakers in the European Union (EU) while promoting evidence-based psychedelic science.
The news was announced in the midst of the European Mental Health Week by the Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA) and its Founder Tadeusz Hawrot, who was present at the launch. Hawrot says the group’s ultimate goal is to transform mental health care in Europe.
“By bringing together MEPs across the political spectrum, we will promote the development of sound EU policies and regulations, paving the way for equitable access to affordable and safe novel psychedelic-assisted treatments in the EU,” said MEP Sara Cerdas of Portgual.
PAREA says the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report this year identified mental health deterioration as a severe risk to economies and societies.
See video marking launch of the MEP Action Group for the Medical Use of Psychedelics.
We'd like to warmly thank all involved MEPs: @alexagiussaliba @alviinaalametsa @Frederiqueries, @JaroslawDuda @vonpecka @MaxovaRadka @RobertBiedron @sara_saracerdas @MetzTilly @TomasZdechovsky pic.twitter.com/JLiOAvJrnE— PAREA (@PareaScience) May 25, 2023
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Additional objectives of the Action Group will include advancing EU-funded research into safe and effective psychedelic medicines and treatments, promoting drug policies based on human rights and scientific evidence to remove barriers hindering the progress of psychedelic research and providing input on current relevant legislative discussions and negotiations within the European Parliament.
“Millions of Europeans are in need of better treatments. We need to ensure that novel psychedelic treatments are being considered, as the science behind them highlights their immense potential” said MEP Mikuláš Peksa of the Czech Republic.
Members of the Action Group include Alviina Alametsä of Finland, a member of the country’s Green League political party; Robert Biedroń of Poland, a former Mayor of the city of Słupsk; Radka Maxová of the Czech Republic, who spoke today at a roundtable meeting in Belgium entitled: Vulnerabilities, Mental Health and Addictions; and Jarosław Duda, a Polish politician.
PAREA was established in June last year and is comprised of several member organizations involved with psychedelics including the Beckley Foundation, the European Brain Council, the Osmond Foundation (a founding member) and as of October last year, the European Psychiatric Association.
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The European Union has been a key influence in the field of clinical psychedelics in recent days. In March, the government in the Netherlands established an MDMA research commission to investigate the therapeutic properties of the psychedelic compound and its potential value within society.
In February, the United Kingdom’s Awakn Life Sciences Corp. (NEO: AWKN) (OTCQB: AWKNF) (FSE: 954) partnered with a Portuguese healthcare consortium to help establish a series of psychedelics clinics throughout Portugal.
A report from the market researcher Fairfield Consultancy Services in October last year indicated that the global market for psychedelics would be worth US$6.3 billion by 2026, ascending at a significant rate from its value of US$3.2 billion in 2021.
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