Brussels/London, 15 May 2025; As political leaders gather for the EU-UK Summit in London on 19 May, AnimalhealthEurope has joined with NOAH (UK National Office of Animal Health) to call on policymakers to prioritise a veterinary medicines agreement between the UK and EU to ensure the continued protection of animal health and welfare on both sides of the Channel.

Veterinary medicines are essential not only for treating disease in pets and livestock but also for protecting public health, ensuring food security, and supporting sustainable agriculture. Yet since the UK’s exit from the EU, the absence of formal regulatory cooperation on veterinary medicines has created growing challenges that threaten product availability and innovation.

AnimalhealthEurope and its UK counterpart are urging leaders to agree a dedicated veterinary medicines arrangement—either as a standalone deal or as a specific chapter within a broader Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. This would ensure continued alignment in areas such as product authorisation, labelling, distribution, and post-market surveillance.

Dawn Howard, Chief Executive of NOAH, said:
“Veterinary medicines must not be sidelined as a technical detail—they are critical to the health of our animals, the safety of our food, and the growth of our economy. A UK-EU veterinary medicines agreement is both achievable and urgently needed.

With AnimalhealthEurope, we are advocating for a pragmatic and cooperative approach that benefits animal owners, veterinary professionals, and farmers across Europe.

“This moment is a great opportunity. The UK and the EU have the chance to show leadership in animal health and welfare, economic co-operation, and One Health. NOAH, together with AnimalhealthEurope, is ready to work with regulators and policymakers to secure this outcome.”

Roxane Feller, Secretary General of AnimalhealthEurope, added:

“Unlike politics, disease knows no borders. Guaranteed access to veterinary medicines is fundamental to safeguarding animal health and welfare, ensuring food security, and protecting public health under the One Health framework.

AnimalhealthEurope, together with NOAH, has been calling for cooperation in the field of veterinary medicines since the publication of the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the EU in 2018. We sincerely hope that leaders will now make the right decision and establish a veterinary medicines agreement between the EU and UK.”

The veterinary medicines industry is small—around 2–3% the size of the human medicines sector—but its impact is disproportionately large. The lack of regulatory alignment between the UK and EU is leading to unnecessary duplication, increased costs, and a risk to medicine availability.

Despite the UK’s regulatory divergence post-Brexit, systems remain very similar, with the same veterinary medicines still authorised in both the EU and UK. A formal agreement would unlock shared efficiencies, support innovation, and ensure continuity of supply at a time when stability is urgently needed.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

1. AnimalhealthEurope represents 12 of Europe’s leading manufacturers of animal medicines and 16 national associations in 20 countries, covering 90% of the European Market.
   Contact: Clare Carlisle, Communications Director – +32 474 388 711 – c.carlisle@animalhealtheurope.eu
2. NOAH represents the UK animal health industry. We promote the benefits of licensed medicines and solutions for the health and welfare of all animals.

For more UK information, please contact Matthew Gibbard, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at m.gibbard@noah.co.uk or see www.noah.co.uk