MEPs fight AMR
MEP Interest Group on Antimicrobial Resistance
deaths AMR is annually responsible for in Europe
billion € yearly healthcare costs and productivity losses due to AMR in Europe
million deaths per year worldwide by 2050 if no action on AMR is taken
million people who could be pushed into extreme poverty by 2030 by AMR.
MEPs FIGHT AMR
2019-2024 strategic work programme of the
MEP Interest Group on Antimicrobial Resistance
The European Parliament can play a key role in boosting actions to tackle AMR at EU level.
The MEP Interest Group on AMR offers a unique opportunity to address AMR, which not only directly affects the lives of all Europeans but also threatens global economic development.
Latest DevelopmentsÂ
No child should experience poverty and social exclusion in a Social Europe | Recommendations
By adopting the European Child Guarantee, the EU has demonstrated its political commitment to break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage across generations. To secure its success, the priority now is to turn this commitment into tangible measures to eradicate child poverty.
New alcohol labelling law in Ireland – an important step to ensure consumer’s rights
Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health in Ireland, signed into law regulations that mandate alcohol labels to include health risks associated with consumption, including the link to fatal cancers. Globally, alcohol causes 3 million deaths per year, with 1 million occurring in Europe, making Europe the region with the highest percentage of deaths directly attributed to alcohol consumption.
EPHA Newsletter | A Step Closer to the European Health Data Space
The proposal for a regulation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS) presents a unique opportunity for countries in the European Union to harness the power of health data to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce health disparities. However, whether the EHDS will be successful in that depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to the digital health literacy of EU citizens and healthcare providers, and the readiness of EU member states in terms of infrastructure and technological capabilities, as well as implementation deadlines. Given that the members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have tabled over 2,100 amendments to the Commission’s original text, it is very likely that the final version of the EHDS regulation will differ considerably from the initial proposal.
Events
Investigating the environmental dimensions of AMR: MEP Interest Group on AMR Annual Meeting
17 May 2022 | 15:00 – 17:30 CEST
Ensuring responsible antimicrobial use in EU food production: MEP Interest Group on AMR Annual Meeting
29 June 2021
AMR: setting the agenda for change
19 February 2020
Official launch of the MEP Interest Group on AMR in the European Parliament.
Fixing the antibiotic innovation pipeline
17 November 2020
Tackling the dependence of EU food systems on antimicrobials
16 November 2020
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week CampaignsÂ
#MEPvsAMR Messages for #WAAW2021
18 – 24 November 2021
#MEPvsAMR Messages for #WAAW2020
18 – 24 November 2020
BECOME AN AMR CHAMPION
What is the MEP Interest Group on AMR?
- Ensuring that AMR is high on the EU policy agenda and that the European Parliament plays a key role in boosting AMR action
- Stressing the need for urgent action through a multi-sectoral One Health approach, which addresses human, animal and environmental health
- Ensuring that the EU and its Member States deliver on their commitments and implement effective actions at EU, national and regional level.
Why become a member?
Knowledge –
- Benefit from evidence-based information to build your knowledge to implement effective actions on AMR
- Receive regular updates on policy and scientific developments
Support –
- Receive continuous support from AMR Stakeholder Network members to undertake actions in the European Parliament, including drafting motions for plenary debates, reports, opinions, and/or questions for written answers on AMR across its human, animal and environmental dimensions
- Join other concerned MEPs to keep pressure on the European Commission and Member States to deliver on their commitments
- Receive support to highlight issues of national relevance which have a direct impact on your constituents
Stay Connected –
- be connected to a wide network of civil society organisations across Europe
- engage with other MEPs and decision-makers committed to tackling AMR,
- show your commitment and visibility to tackling this urgent public health threat
What are the aims and objectives for the 2019-2024 term?
- Raise awareness on AMR
- Support the use of target-setting and evaluation in AMR policy-making
- Promote funding for AMR-related investments
- Enable an inclusive EU AMR One Health Dialogue
- Ensure that prevention is at the heart of all AMR action
- Address the market failures in antibiotic research & innovation
- Fight pharmaceutical pollution
-
Ensure effective implementation of the EU veterinary medicinal products and medicated feed regulations
Meet the AMR champions
Sarah Wiener, MEP
Greens/EFA, Austria
Chair
Tiemo Wölken, MEP
S&D, Germany
Vice-Chair
Nicolae Ştefănuţă, MEP
RE, Romania
Vice-Chair
Brando Benifei, MEP
S&D, Italy
Biljana Borzan, MEP
S&D, Croatia
Sara Cerdas, MEP
S&D, Portugal
Olivier Chastel, MEP
RE, Belgium
Cyrus Engerer, MEP
S&D, Malta
Frances Fitzgerald, MEP
EPP, Ireland
Roberta Metsola, MEP
EPP, Malta
Juozas OLEKAS, MEP
S&D, Lithuania
Sirpa Pietikäinen, MEP
EPP, Finland
Jessica Polfjärd, MEP
EPP, Sweden
Piernicola Pedicini MEP
Greens/EFA, Italy
Tomislav Sokol, MEP
EPP, Croatia
Manuela Ripa, MEP
Greens/EFA, Germany
Christel Schaldemose, MEP
S&D, Denmark
István Ujhelyi, MEP
S&D, Hungary
Sarah Wiener, MEP
Greens/EFA, Austria
Chair
Tiemo Wölken, MEP
S&D, Germany
Vice-Chair
Nicolae Ştefănuţă, MEP
Renew Europe, Romania
Vice-Chair
Brando Benifei, MEP
S&;D, Italy
Biljana Borzan, MEP
S&D, Croatia
Sara Cerdas, MEP
S&D, Portugal
Olivier Chastel, MEP
Renew Europe, Belgium
Fredrick Federley, MEP
Renew Europe, Sweden
Frances Fitzgerald, MEP
EPP, Ireland
Mairead McGuinness, MEP
EPP, Ireland
Roberta Metsola, MEP
EPP, Malta
Piernicola Pedicini, MEP
NI, Italy
Sirpa Pietikäinen, MEP
EPP, Finland
Jessica Polfjärd, MEP
EPP, Sweden
Christel Schaldemose, MEP
S&D, Denmark
Tomislav Sokol, MEP
EPP, Croatia
István Ujhelyi , MEP
S&D, Hungary
How do we work?
The MEP Interest Group was established in November 2019 during World Antibiotic Awareness Week. Further to the first introductory technical internal meeting of the group which took place on 20 January 2020, the Group was officially launched on 19 February 2020 at the European Parliament.
The high-level launch event entitled ‘AMR: Setting the agenda for change’, brought together key players working on AMR, including the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety and other European Commission representatives, the UN Tripartite organisations collaborating on AMR (FAO/OIE/WHO), Member States’ representatives, members of the AMR Stakeholder Network and other stakeholders. Musician and patient Silviu Ciocanelli, also shared a captivating account of the reality of living with AMR, calling for urgent measures to be taken to protect Europeans.
The MEP Interest Group meets on average twice per year with external stakeholders (annual meeting + side meeting dedicated to a specific AMR-related dimension). Meetings can take the form of debates, workshops, or webinars to discuss, monitor progress and advocate for future actions.
MEPs are free to decide on their level of involvement in meetings and other activities, depending on their interests and agendas. Nonetheless, MEPs are highly encouraged to take part in at least one activity a year.
The Secretariat
The Secretariat of the Interest Group is co-hosted by the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe with the support of the AMR Stakeholder Network.
EPHA is a leading Brussels-based NGO advocating for better health in Europe. It is a member-led organisation made up of public health NGOs, patient groups, health professionals and disease groups, working to improve health and strengthen the voice of public health in Europe.Â
HCWH Europe is the European arm of a global not-for-profit NGO whose mission is to transform healthcare worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability, and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice.
The AMR Stakeholder Network, operating within the framework of the European Commission’s Health Policy Platform, brings together 80 members representing health and environmental NGOs, patient organisations, public health institutes, national and regional authorities and agencies, committed academics and healthcare professionals working on AMR, and other stakeholders, working on AMR. Â
The MEP Interest Group activities and organisation of meetings at the European Parliament will receive financial support from European Commission Operating Grants of the EU Health Programme & LIFE Programme.
ABOUT THE AMR STAKEHOLDER NETWORK
Questions?
Cristina Pricop
Junior Policy Manager​ for Global Public Health
European Public Health Alliance
cristina.pricop@epha.org
Jean-Yves Stenuick
Safer Pharma Programme Manager
Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe
jean-yves.stenuick@hcwh.org
​HCWH Europe gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the European Commission (EC)’s LIFE programme. HCWH Europe is solely responsible for its content and related materials. The views expressed do not reflect the official views of the European Commission.
