EU Takes Action on Antibiotic Use

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing problem in the EU, according to the European Commission (EC). Because of this, it has launched an action plan detailing 12 concrete actions to be implemented in close cooperation with the Member States.

European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli said: "We need to take swift and determined action if we do not want to lose antimicrobial medicines as essential treatment against bacterial infections in both humans and animals.

"The 12 concrete actions for the next five years could help limit the spread of anti-microbial resistance and help develop new anti-microbial treatment. Their success requires joined efforts from the EU, the Member States, health-care professionals, industry, farmers and many others."

The Action Plan specifically states that more action should be taken to ensure that antimicrobials are used appropriately in animals. It also aims to improve the monitoring and surveillance of antimicrobial use.

The EC says that is plans to strengthen EU law on veterinary medicines and medicated feeds, as well as introduce recommendations for prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine.

Another goal of the plan is to introduce legal tools to tighten prevention and control of infections in animals in the new EU Animal Health Law.

Finally, the EC will promote efforts to analyse the need for new antibiotics in veterinary medicine.

Subsequently, a new alliance – consisting of Compassion in World Farming, The Soil Association and Sustain – has called for the EU to cut the use of antibiotic by 50 per cent by 2015.

The alliance has clarified that it is not calling for a total withdrawal of antibiotic treatment of farm animals, simply to use it to treat sick animals, thereby reducing suffering and maintaining good animal welfare.

In the US, it has been reported that the egg business at the centre of last year's widespread Salmonella outbreak, Wright County Farm, is being sold. Another large egg company has announced it is to review welfare practices and food safety procedures following the release of an undercover video showing animal abuse.

France's food safety agency has published a negative opinion on the reintroduction of non-ruminant processed animals protein (PAP; previously known as meat and bone meal) into feeds.

On international trade, a bilateral relationship between China and Brazil is set to expand, with more Brazilian processing plants being certified to export poultry meat to China.

There have been reports of sub-clinical Newcastle disease in central Mexico and clinical disease on five broiler farms in Israel.

On bird flu, the Taiwanese veterinary authorities have reported an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) at Zhupei City in the northern region of Hsinchu.