AnimalhealthEurope welcomes the recognition of extensive efforts made to reduce the need to use antibiotics in the veterinary sector in today’s Council conclusions, which highlight the strict EU regulation on the use of antibiotics in animals, supported by growing efforts to collect pertinent data. The welcome approach taken by the Romanian Presidency to the Council of the EU places national action plans at the forefront and acknowledges that differences in Member States require distinct actions to address antibiotic resistance.

EU ministers for health adopted the new Council Conclusions today and elaborated the next steps towards making the EU a best practice region in combatting AMR. Following in the footsteps of previous presidencies, Romania has sought to reinvigorate EU action to tackle this global threat, by putting forward clear and constructive actions for both the European Commission and EU Member States. The animal health industry responds positively to the Council’s call for more cooperation between Member States, the Commission and the pharmaceutical industry to tackle insufficient availability of antibiotics and shares its concern that urgent action is needed to stimulate the development of new antibiotics, alternative therapies and rapid and modern diagnostics. The animal health sector has been long committed to the playing its part in the global fight against AMR and implementing the One Health approach.

Speaking on behalf of the animal medicines industry in Europe, Secretary General Roxane Feller said, “In welcoming these conclusions, we also take this opportunity to highlight the important role national animal health associations play across the EU in providing sectoral input for the effective implementation of the national action plans and renew our call to be included in discussions with the EU AMR One Health Network. AnimalhealthEurope’s national association members actively contribute to coordination and monitoring mechanisms in the member states, extending our industry’s support further to enable the EU’s goal of remaining a best practice region.”

AnimalhealthEurope’s 2018 Health for Future Generations campaign offered an overview of key actions undertaken at national level, where the animal health industry initiated programmes to share best practices and expertise and, through regular dialogue with national authorities, was instrumental in establishing agreements on antibiotic use and supporting implementation of national action plans to address antibiotic resistance.

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