Ensuring responsible antimicrobial use in EU food production

MEP Interest Group on AMR Annual Meeting

Join the MEP Interest Group for their annual meeting on 29 June to discuss opportunities for the transition to a sustainable model of food production that ensures responsible antimicrobial use and contributes to the global response to tackling AMR

Welcome by

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Sarah Wiener, MEP

Chair of the MEP Interest Group on AMR

Greens/EFA, Austria

Susana Pombo

Director-General

Directorate-General of Food and Veterinary, Portugal

Session 1: Towards a sustainable food system in the EU

The Veterinary Medicinal Products and Medicated Feed Regulations will put in place a wide range of provisions to support responsible use of medicines, particularly antimicrobials, paving the way for a list of medically important antimicrobials reserved for human use as well as a system of data collection on antimicrobial use across species.

However, there are still concerns about the readiness of EU governments and the food production sector to implement and comply with the provisions or if they are sufficiently aware of the system changes needed to move towards a more sustainable model of food production.

What are the barriers to more sustainable animal husbandry that minimises antimicrobial use? How can animal welfare be improved?
What critically important antimicrobials should be reserved for human use?

How can innovation and technology support implementation of best practices and minimise the need for antimicrobial use?
How can we ensure that pharmaceuticals not classified as antimicrobials will not be used to compensate for poor animal husbandry?

Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP

Member, MEP Interest Group on AMR

EPP, Finland

Jeroen Dewulf

Professor in Veterinary Epidemiology

Ghent University

Imke Lührs

Board Member

Doctors Against Factory Farming

Peter Stevenson

Chief Policy Advisor

Compassion in World Farming

Eva Maria Zamora Escribano

Head of Unit for Animal Nutrition and Veterinary Medicines

European Commission

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Session 2: Shaping the global agenda

Third-country operators in many parts of the world do not produce food to the high standards of the EU, yet they will not be subject to the EU ban on the prophylactic use of antimicrobials for groups of animals, posing a threat to European consumers and exposing EU food producers to unfair competition.

The EU has a key role to play in driving markets and advocating for changes at the global level such as concerning the use of antimicrobials as growth promoters. The global agreement on the use of antimicrobials and the chapter on sustainable food systems of free trade and investment agreements are additional potential avenues for the EU to shape the global agenda.

How can we ensure a level playing field for food imports when prophylactic use of antimicrobials for groups of animals will still be allowed?
What would the food production component of a global agreement on the use of and access to antimicrobials look like?

How can innovation and technology support implementation of best practices and minimise the need for antimicrobial use?
How can we ensure that pharmaceuticals not classified as antimicrobials will not be used to compensate for poor animal husbandry?