The EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 develops an approach to the phenomenon of drugs use. In that context several actions are proposed to achieve the overall objective of the EU Drugs Strategy with three cross-disciplinary themes of (i) coordination, (ii) international cooperation and (iii) information, research, monitoring and evaluation. The Peer2Peer project aims at the capacity-building of CSO through the use of scientific knowledge to increase the efficacy of cooperation practices between key-actors in the outreach work (professionals, outreach workers (OW), peers, small-scale drug dealers and police forces), emphasising the focus on the dyad “peer - Professional”. The principles inspiring this approach come from the long European tradition of rights and liberties that empower citizens to actively participate in society.

As indicated by several scholars the coproduction of service delivery by the users themselves can have very positive effects in improving the quality of the process and its outcomes, by deeply changing the relationships, positions and rules among the involved stakeholders; an open process of participation, exchange and collaboration between all (including end-users) has the potential to mobilise community resources not available otherwise and develop mutual trusting relationships between all the agents involved. In particular, the involvement of peers as someone who is at the same level than the other individuals, friend, a colleague or someone relatively strange involved in the same activity or context, in service delivery is acknowledged to be effective when dealing with injectable drug users and much more so than other psychosocial interventions, specifically those provided by healthcare workers.

The Peer2Peer project will contribute with a professional and scientific approach to create an evidence-based program to achieve more equal and concerted relations between the different stakeholders involved, effective in dealing with the overall objective of the EU Drugs Strategy to reduce drug demand. As so, it proposes a strategy that actively includes the end-users in the planning and implementing processes, while also focusing on human rights and dignity.