39th WGEO Meeting during the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU - Cooperation in Combating Pharmaceutical Crime
02.04.2026
The 39th meeting of the Working Group of Enforcement Officers (WGEO), a key event of the Cypriot Presidency of the EU Council, took place in Paphos from 1 to 3 March 2026. The meeting brought together representatives of institutions responsible for medicinal product market surveillance and combating pharmaceutical crime, including a delegation from the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate.
The WGEO plays an important role in strengthening cooperation and communication among authorities responsible for medicinal product oversight. Its meetings provide a platform for the exchange of information, experience, and best practices in preventing and combating pharmaceutical crime.
Participants included representatives of the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA), national regulatory authorities for human and veterinary medicinal products, supervisory bodies, as well as police and customs services from the 27 EU Member States and three European Economic Area countries. WGEO activities also involve key international organisations, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Commission, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM), the World Health Organization (WHO), INTERPOL, Europol, and the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI).
Poland was represented by delegates of the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate. A key item on the agenda was a presentation delivered by Jan Jakubczyk, Director of the Internal Control and Compliance Management Department, who – at the invitation of the WGEO Chair – outlined opportunities for the use of data and analytical tools in combating pharmaceutical crime. The presentation covered, among other topics, the potential application of artificial intelligence in counteracting illegal trade in medicinal products and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), as well as in limiting the non-medical use of medicines.
The Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate was also represented by Piotr Michalski (Internal Control and Compliance Management Department) and Piotr Górnicki (Pharmaceutical Supervision Department).
The meeting in Paphos brought together experts from more than 50 institutions from EU and EEA countries, as well as Switzerland, and representatives of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It provided another opportunity to strengthen international cooperation and exchange experience in effectively combating pharmaceutical crime.
WGEO activities focus on detecting and preventing irregularities related to the manufacture and distribution of medicinal products – both within legal and illegal supply chains. The group’s scope includes medicinal products and their components, products claiming pharmacological effects, as well as preparations containing undeclared active substances.