In Luxembourg on Tuesday 13 June, European health ministers adopted a Council recommendation on stepping up EU action to combat antimicrobial resistance.
The European Commission made such a proposal as part of the 26 April package on the review of pharmaceutical legislation.
This recommendation includes a set of actions aimed at strengthening national action plans against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and improving infection prevention. Targets have been set for the consumption of antimicrobials and AMR in the field of human health (see EUROPE 13192/23).
The measures proposed in the recommendation include concrete targets for reducing the use of antimicrobials by 2030, including a 20% reduction in total human consumption of antibiotics and a 50% reduction in overall EU sales of antimicrobials used in farm animals and aquaculture.
Denmark and the Netherlands, in particular, have welcomed the national and collective targets set.
The European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, welcomed the consensus in the recommendation on the need to reinforce prudent use measures and on specific and measurable European and national targets, both in terms of antimicrobial consumption and antimicrobial resistance.
“Such targets are necessary to achieve goals for preventing and reducing antimicrobial resistance within a specified timeframe, and to monitor progress over time”, said the Commissioner.
She pointed out that direct grants are available under the EU4Health programme, as part of a new joint action on antimicrobial resistance with a budget of €50 million.
Link to the Council’s recommendation: https://aeur.eu/f/7fp (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)