1. Raising the bar Meeting Europe’s future challenges
Michael Farrell
Chair
EMCDDA Scientific Advisory Committee

2. Priorities Improve access to scientific knowledge
Improving links across the breadth of the scientific field from basic to applied science
Reinforce links between the EMCDDA and the scientific community
Promoting the science of addictions within the broader scientific field
Promoting empirical approaches to broad policy analysis within and across member states
Understanding the ethical and policy implications of new technologies and new drugs in contemporary society

3. Access to scientific knowledge 1
Important that drug policy can be evidence-based
What evidence is needed?
How to translate evidence into practice?
What are possible ways to bridge the gap between research and practice?
Understanding the limits of evidence and the need for varied sources of information and knowledge

4. Access to scientific knowledge 2
Cochrane Collaboration
International not-for-profit and independent organization
Up-to-date, accurate information about healthcare
Cochrane reviews are recognised as the gold standard in evidence-based health care
Future challenges:
Maintain high quality standard of updated evidence
Interact with all stakeholders to prioritize questions
The limitations of such methodologies for some of the complex social and individual problems of addiction

5. The EMCDDA.
After 15 years robust evidence about some of the significant and sustained differences between countries require further exploration
Challenge is now to begin to understand these differences
Comparative analysis
Creative use of differences in policy implementation, especially regional differences within countries for comparative differences in policy implementation
The output of the EMCDDA could become more scientifically robust and impactful

6. The EMCDDA and the scientific community
Improving monitoring implies
supporting and developing the focal points and increasing the broader national research infrastructure and research capacity
Keeping and developing the information network
Working more closely with the broad research community
Providing information in a manner which matches the needs of practitioners and policy makers

7. Methodological developments .
More comparable good quality data collection in European member states is necessary
Understanding new trends requires the combined use of quantitative standardized data and more qualitative information.
Use of modelling in policy analysis

8. Research into practice in Europe
Too much reliance on intervention studies conducted in the United States
European implementation substantially more textured and need for better monitoring and evaluation of such differences
Large scale collaborative approach to key questions
Understanding development and resilience in individuals, families and communities
Interventions in novel settings and with new technologies

9. Sustainability
Need for National and International organisations to work closely together to promote future high quality collaborative research
The EMCDDA is potentially in a strong position to promote and support the collaboration between European drug researchers
The EMCDDA should continue to follow and disseminate research developments and findings in Europe