Drug precursors are chemical substances that can be used in the illicit production of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Within the European Union, certain precursors are scheduled in order to prevent their diversion.
European legislation classifies these substances into four categories, depending on the risk of diversion and the control measures that apply. On this page you will find an overview of:
- EU-scheduled drug precursors (Categories 1 to 4)
- Non-scheduled but monitored substances
The overview of the scheduled substances is based on:
- Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors
- Regulation (EC) No 111/2005 laying down rules for the monitoring of trade in drug precursors between the European Union and third countries
EU-scheduled drug precursors
European legislation divides drug precursors into four categories. Specific control measures apply to each category, such as licence, registration or reporting obligations.
- Category 1 includes substances with the highest risk of diversion and for which the strictest control measures apply.
- Categories 2 and 3 include substances with a lower risk profile but which remain subject to control mechanisms.
- Category 4 concerns medicinal products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as an active substance.
The full overview of the substances per category is provided below.
| Category 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance | CN designation | CN Code | CAS No |
| (1R,2R)-(-)-chloropseudoephedrine | - | 2939 79 90 | 771434-80-1 |
| (1R,2S)-(-)-chloroephedrine | - | 2939 79 90 | 110925-64-9 |
| (1S,2R)-(+)-chloroephedrine | - | 2939 79 90 | 1384199-95-4 |
| (1S,2S)-(+)-chloropseudoephedrine | - | 2939 79 90 | 73393-61-0 |
| 1-(2-phenylethyl)piperidin-4-one | N-phenethyl-4-piperidone (NPP) | 2933 37 00 | 39742-60-4 |
| 1-boc-4-piperidone | tert-butyl 4-oxopiperidine1-carboxylate | 2933 39 99 | 79099-07-3 |
| 1-Phenyl-2-propanone (BMK) | Phenylacetone | 2914 31 00 | 103-79-7 |
| 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylic acid (BMK glycidic acid) | - | 2918 99 90 | 25547-51-7 |
| 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylic acid (PMK glycidic acid) | - | 2932 99 00 | 2167189-50-4 |
| 3,4-Methylenedioxyphenylpropan-2-one (PMK) | 1-(1,3-Benzodioxol-5-yl)propan-2-one | 2932 92 00 | 4676-39-5 |
| 4-piperidone | Piperidin-4-one | 2933 39 99 | 41661-47-6 |
| Alpha-phenylacetoacetamide (APAA) | - | 2924 29 70 | 4433-77-6 |
| Alpha-phenylacetoacetonitrile (APAAN) | - | 2926 40 00 | 4468-48-8 |
| Butyl 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2918 99 90 | - |
| Butyl 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2932 99 00 | - |
| Diethyl (phenylacetyl) propanedioate (DEPAPD) | - | 2918 30 00 | 20320-59-6 |
| Ephedrine | - | 2939 41 00 | 299-42-3 |
| Ergometrine | - | 2939 61 00 | 60-79-7 |
| Ergotamine | - | 2939 62 00 | 113-15-5 |
| Ethyl 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2918 99 90 | - |
| Ethyl 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2932 99 00 | 28578-16-7 |
| Ethyl alpha-phenylacetoacetate (EAPA) | - | ex 2918 30 00 | 8/05/5413 |
| Isobutyl 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2918 99 90 | - |
| Isobutyl 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2932 99 00 | - |
| Isopropyl 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2918 99 90 | - |
| Isopropyl 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2932 99 00 | - |
| Isopropylidene (2-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)acetyl)malonate (IMDPAM) | IMDPAM | 2932 99 00 | - |
| Isosafrol (cis + trans) | - | 2932 91 00 | 120-58-1 |
| Lysergic acid | - | 2939 63 00 | 82-58-6 |
| Methyl 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2918 99 90 | 80532-66-7 |
| Methyl 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2932 99 00 | 13605-48-6 |
| Methyl 3-oxo-2-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)butanoate (MAMDPA) | methyl 3-oxo-2-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)butanoate | ex 2932 99 00 | 1369021-80-6 |
| Methyl alpha-phenylacetoacetate (MAPA) | - | 2918 30 00 | 16648-44-5 |
| N-acetylanthranilic acid | 2-Acetamidobenzoic acid | 2924 23 00 | 89-52-1 |
| Norephedrine | - | 2939 44 00 | 14838-15-4 |
| N-phenyl-1-(2-phenylethyl)piperidin-4-amine | 4-anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine (ANPP) | 2933 36 00 | 21409-26-7 |
| N-phenyl-N-(piperidin-4-yl)propanamide (norfentanyl) | - | 2933 39 99 | 1609-66-1 |
| N-phenylpiperidin-4-amine (4-AP) | - | 2933 39 99 | 23056-29-3 |
| Piperonal (heliotropin) | - | 2932 93 00 | 120-57-0 |
| Propyl 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2918 99 90 | - |
| Propyl 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2932 99 00 | - |
| Pseudoephedrine | - | 2939 42 00 | 90-82-4 |
| Safrole | - | 2932 94 00 | 94-59-7 |
| Sec-butyl 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2918 99 90 | - |
| Sec-butyl 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2932 99 00 | - |
| Tert-butyl 2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2918 99 90 | - |
| Tert-butyl 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-methyloxirane-2-carboxylate | - | 2932 99 00 | - |
| Tert-butyl 4-anilinopiperidine-1-carboxylate (1-boc-4-AP) | - | 2933 39 99 | 125541-22-2 |
| The stereoisomeric forms of the substances listed in this category are included, except for cathine, whenever the existence of such forms is possible. The salts of the substances listed in this category are included, whenever the existence of such salts is possible and not being the salts of cathine. |
|||
| Category 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance | CN designation | CN Code | CAS No |
| Acetic anhydride | 2915 24 00 | 108-24-7 | |
| Anthranilic acid | 2922 43 00 | 118-92-3 | |
| Phenylacetic acid | 2916 34 00 | 103-82-2 | |
| Piperidine | 2933 32 00 | 110-89-4 | |
| Potassium permanganate | 2841 61 00 | 7722-64-7 | |
| Red phosphorus | 2804 70 10 | 7723-14-0 | |
| The salts of the substances listed in this category are included whenever the existence of such salts is possible. | |||
| Category 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance | CN designation | CN Code | CAS No |
| Acetone (dimethyl ketone, DMK, propanone) | 2914 11 00 | 67-64-1 | |
| Ethyl ether | Diethyl ether | 2909 11 00 | 60-29-7 |
| Hydrochloric acid | Hydrogen chloride | 2806 10 00 | 7647-01-0 |
| Methylethylketone (MEK) | Butanone | 2914 12 00 | 78-93-3 |
| Sulphuric acid | 2807 00 00 | 7664-93-9 | |
| Toluene (methylbenzene, phenylmethane) | 2902 30 00 | 108-88-3 | |
| The salts of the substances listed in this category are included whenever the existence of such salts is possible and not being the salts of hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid. | |||
| Category 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance | CN designation | CN Code | Remark |
| Medicinal products and veterinary medicinal products containing ephedrine or its salts | Containing ephedrine or its salts | 3003 41 00 | Not in measured doses and not packaged for retail sale |
| 3004 41 00 | In measured doses and packaged for retail sale | ||
| Medicinal products and veterinary medicinal products containing pseudo-ephedrine or its salts | Containing pseudoephedrine (INN) or its salts | 3003 42 00 | Not in measured doses and not packaged for retail sale |
| 3004 42 00 | In measured doses and packaged for retail sale | ||
Non-scheduled but monitored precursors
In addition to scheduled drug precursors, there are also substances that are currently not included in European legislation but are known to be used in the illicit production of drugs. These substances are referred to as non-scheduled but monitored precursors.
Competent authorities monitor these substances because they may be misused in the manufacture of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances. Where certain substances are found to be systematically used in illicit production processes, they may subsequently be included in the European legislation on drug precursors.
Some of these substances are monitored through the EU voluntary monitoring list. This list contains chemical substances monitored by the European authorities due to their potential use in the production of illicit drugs.
Pre-precursors
In addition to drug precursors, there are also substances known as pre-precursors. These are chemical substances that must first be converted into a drug precursor before they can be used in the production of drugs.
The production process generally follows the pattern below:
pre-precursor → drug precursor → illicit drug
Some pre-precursors have legitimate industrial applications. In other cases, such substances are developed or used in order to circumvent existing legislation on drug precursors.
Designer precursors
Illicit drug production in Europe increasingly makes use of so-called designer precursors. These are chemical variants of existing precursors that are deliberately developed in order to avoid existing control measures.
Designer precursors are often closely related to scheduled precursors but are chemically modified so that they do not fall under current legislation. These substances generally have no known legitimate use, except possibly for research purposes.
EU voluntary monitoring list
Certain non-scheduled substances are monitored through the EU voluntary monitoring list. This list contains chemical substances known to be used in the production of illicit drugs and which are therefore monitored by the competent authorities.
The list is confidential and is shared only with trusted economic operators. Companies wishing to obtain this information may contact the drug precursors team of the FAMHP.
Recently added substances
On 14 August 2025, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1475 entered into force. This regulation amends Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 111/2005 and adds the following substances to Category 1 of the scheduled drug precursors:
- 4-piperidone
- 1-boc-4-piperidone