EU Parliament proposes resolution against antimicrobial resistance

The European Parliament has proposed a resolution aimed at combating antimicrobial resistance. The resolution calls on the EU Commission to assess animal diseases caused by bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and to consider listing them in the European Regulation on Communicable Animal Diseases (EU Regulation 2016/429). If listed, these diseases could be subject to specific regulatory monitoring and control measures.    

This proposal is part of a legislative resolution approved on June 1, aimed at prompting the Council, the Commission, and Member States to implement mandatory actions to tackle antimicrobial resistance.    

Moreover, the European Parliament urges the Commission and Member States to promote biosecurity and support veterinarians in advising farmers on infection prevention and control measures, including alternative methods that align with the prohibition of prophylactic use of antimicrobials in food production as outlined in the revised legislation on veterinary medicinal products.
Additionally, the resolution calls for the implementation of measures to prevent infectious diseases that go beyond the minimum requirements of EU law, using support available through the Common Agricultural Policy.    

The resolution also advocates for limiting the use of antibiotics in animals to those deemed "least important" for human health by the WHO and restricting the use of "extremely important and highest priority" antibiotics.    

Members of the European Parliament have suggested further actions to advance progress within the European Union, including promoting the use of innovative feed additives and nutritional interventions to maintain and improve livestock health, improving animal health through the implementation of biosecurity and good husbandry practices, and developing strategies to improve hygiene and wastewater management in food production.  
The resolution also calls for the development of specific measures to reduce antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animal species, the pre-treatment of waste to eliminate microorganisms responsible for antimicrobial resistance, and improving the availability and accessibility of diagnostic tools.    

Lastly, the resolution highlights the need for improvements in two areas of the fight against antimicrobial resistance: the environmental aspect of resistance and the lack of objectives for reducing resistance in human health.        

 

Source:    

European Parliament