EU restricts use of antimicrobials in livestock and aquaculture

In the European Union, updated legislation on veterinary medicines has come into force, which severely limits the use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials (AMRs) in livestock and aquaculture.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how closely interconnected human, plant and animal health, environmental health and food security are. The clearest illustration of this connection is the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance,” EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakidis said on Friday.

The new rules ensure that from now on, antimicrobial treatment of animals will be carried out only when they are really needed. Together with new medicated feed legislation that bans prophylactic use and limits the prescription of antimicrobials in medicated feed, the new regulations will greatly strengthen the fight against AMR.

Antimicrobials, including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics, are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals, and plants. However, their regular use creates resistance to them.

The new Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products (VLP) adopted in 2019 came into force on January 28, 2022.