Eurazijos zalos mazinimo asociacija/ Eurasian harm reduction association

EU Legislative Interests

EHRA is working in advocacy in the areas Health, Justice, Drugs and Human Rights in EC. Specific interest in advocacy activities we have in following several policy areas. 1. Health, mental health and social services availability for people who use drugs in EU members states and neighborhood countries and associated counties. EHRA is organizing regional and national events to support communities in their actions toward governments to fulfill commitments and to operationalized declarations such as following: European Action for Sustainability ‘Next steps for a sustainable Europe future’, 2016, European Parliament’s Resolution on the EU’s response to HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis C, HIV Action Plan for the health sector to HIV for the WHO European region 2016-2020, 2016, Join Riga Declaration on Tuberculosis and Its Multi-Drug Resistance, 2016, Malta Declaration on HIV/AIDS ‘Call for fast tracking actions on HIV towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 in the European Union’, 2017, Paris Declaration ‘Fast-track cities: Ending the AIDS epidemic’, 2014,Tallinn Charter: Health Systems for Health and Wealth, 2008, Tuberculosis Action Plan for the WHO European region 2016-2020, 2015 and European Framework for Action on Integrated Health Services Delivery, 2016. In order to facilitate advocacy on access to health for people using drugs, EHRA became member of core group of EU Civil Society Forum on HIV, TB and Hepatitis. 2. Drug policy in EU members state, which is currently regulated by EU Drugs Strategy 2021-2025 (13932/20). These documents already are the background to promote access to harm reduction services as it is stated in the Strategic priority 7: Risk- and harm-reduction interventions and other measures to protect and support people who use drugs EHRA is supporting advocacy of its members on national level and supporting Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSFD) work on EU level to ensure access to harm reduction services for people using drugs in EU members states. EHRA Executive Director since December of 2024 is elected as CSFD Chair. 3. Sustainable funding of social and medical services in EU member states and EC support for relevant advocacy in neighborhood countries. Such advocacy include preparing a submission for the public consultation outlining the importance of a health directorate as well as a health budget in EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework. 4. Support to EU candidates countries from Eastern Europe such as Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia and Western Balkan countries to improve access to harm reduction services and reform drug policy in accordance to best EU practices and European Drug agency recommendations. 5. Ensuring that EU Member States and countries in CEECA region protect and expand civic space for civil society and communities working in drug policy and providing harm reduction services, guaranteeing freedoms of expression, association, and access to information without fear of reprisals.This includes conducting regional analysis, building capacities of members, advocacy for creating supportive legal and funding environments so these actors can continue providing essential harm reduction and health services, which are critical to upholding human rights and effective drug policy.

Communication Activities

EHRA is currently implementing several regional advocacy projects in EU members states and neighboring countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries including the following: 1. BOOST Project - BOOST access and quality of community-based communicable disease services for PWUD in the EU and neighboring countries lead by C-EHRN in period January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2025. The main aim of the BOOST project is to enhance the implementation of high-quality community-based communicable disease services as part of a comprehensive, people-centred and integrated harm reduction approach. Key publications by EHRA: - United for Change: Advocacy Strategy for Comprehensive Health and Harm Reduction Services for People Who Use Drugs in Europe https://community-boost.eu/resources/united-for-change-advocacy-strategy-for-comprehensive-health-and-harm-reduction-services-for-people-who-use-drugs-in-europe/ - Policy Brief: “Advancing Universal Health Coverage for People Who Use Drugs in Europe” https://community-boost.eu/resources/policy-brief-advancing-universal-health-coverage-for-people-who-use-drugs-in-europe/ - Advocacy in Action: Advancing Comprehensive Health and Harm Reduction Services | CND 68 Side Event https://community-boost.eu/resources/advocacy-in-action-advancing-comprehensive-health-and-harm-reduction-services-cnd-68-side-event/ 2. The regional project “SUSTAINABILITY of SERVICES for Key Populations in the EECA Region” is being implemented by a consortium of organizations led by the ICF Alliance for Public Health in period January 2025 - December 2027. Key objectives of the project: Enhance the uptake of HIV prevention opportunities among key populations in the EECA region and improve the HIV care cascade; Remove human rights-related barriers to HIV services for key populations. Key publications by EHRA: - Kurcevič E. (2025). Mapping Repression: Legal Trends Impacting Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Vilnius, Lithuania https://ehra.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/78192342-cd12-4a69-801c-bf536871c343.pdf - Intersectional Identities, Shared Struggles: Communities in CEECA Call for Inclusive Access to Health Care, HIV Services & Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights https://ehra-uploads.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/d6fea161-de9c-49e1-aeaa-c2ec1fa1f70b.pdf - State of Harm Reduction in CEECA region, May 2025 https://ehra-uploads.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/6d90e779-ffce-42b5-8a8b-ffeb1947be82.pdf - Maron E. (2024). Community Led Monitoring in Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Key Results, Lessons, and Recommendations: Vilnius, Lithuania. https://ehra-uploads.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/6d14da55-c851-46b3-b0d6-fd41177c748f.pdf - Golichenko M. (2024). ‘Associated Trio’: Accelerating the Accession of Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine to the EU. Criminal Drug Law and Policy Dimension. Eurasian Harm Reduction Association: Vilnius, Lithuania. https://ehra-uploads.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/777c0b43-5f7b-4a23-8475-e3a38571c45e.pdf 3. Project EECA Regional Learning Hub (Regional Platform EECA) supported The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Project Period: January 2024 – December 2026Target Countries: Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries. All numerous publications could be found athttps://eecaplatform.org/ 4. Ending Inequalities for People who Use Drugs: Strengthening Harm Reduction to Elevate Rights, Health and Capacity (Harm Reduction Consortium) supported by Robert Carr Network Fund from January 2025 to June 2026 with advocacy at the European and global level. EHRA campaigns: - EHRA Submits Shadow Report to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association https://harmreductioneurasia.org/news/submission-sr-on-assembly-association - Participating in the EU Drug Policy Campaign All regional projects support sharing information and building NGO capacities for national advocacy actions to promote Health and Justice EU policies.

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

EHRA is a members of International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) - https://idpc.net/ EHRA is a member of Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) - https://vngoc.org/

Organisation Members

Please find the list of EHRA organizational members published https://harmreductioneurasia.org/membership/ehra-members

Additional Information

EHRA FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Independent Auditors report, EHRA Treasurer opinion and Annual report for the year ended 31 December 2024 is published online https://harmreductioneurasia.org/about-us/reports