Precursor chemicals, also known as scheduled substances or drug precursors, are chemicals that may be used in the illegal manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychoactive substances, but also have a wide range of legimate commercial use.
Precursors according to Council Regulations (EC) Nos. 273/2004 and 111/2005 are all substances listed in Categories 1-3 of Annex 1 of (EC) No. 273/2004 and Categories 1-4 of the Annex of No 111/2005.
If salts and stereoisomer forms of scheduled substances are possible, they are also precursors, with the exception of Cathine.
Mixtures and natural products containing such substances are also precursors.
This excludes mixtures and natural products, which contain scheduled substances but are composed in such a way that the scheduled substances cannot be easily used or extracted by readily applicable or economically viable means.
Also excluded according to Council Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 (domestic trade within the EU) are medicinal products as defined by Directives 2001/83/EC and 2001/82/EC with the exception of human and veterinary products containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. These are included in Category 4 of Annex 1 of (EC) No 111/2005 (external trade).
The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices is the competent authority controlling the traffic in precursors by operators based in Germany. The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices also grants import authorisations for substances of Category 1 as well as export authorisations for Categories 1-4. The Federal Opium Agency within the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices fulfills this task.