The establishment of a list defining antimicrobial substances intended exclusively for the treatment of specific infections in humans has been agreed by Member States, announced Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakidou welcoming the decision.
"Antimicrobial resistance is a silent pandemic and tackling it has been a priority since the beginning of my mandate," Kyriakidou said.
The measure aims to ensure the effectiveness of antimicrobials as they cannot be used in animals and the sale of veterinary medicines containing them will be banned.
The Commissioner said the adoption of this policy by Member States is a "milestone at global level" as it is the first such list to be adopted, while it also represents "an important step forward in our 'One Health' policy approach to limiting antimicrobial resistance."
She also underlined that the policy is an example of how the Commission is tackling together issues related to human, animal and plant health, while taking into account the protection of the environment.
The list of antimicrobials was drawn up on the basis of scientific advice from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), experts from EU Member States, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the EU Food Safety Authority (EFSA). More than 30 other microbiologists, veterinarians and doctors with expertise in infectious diseases participated in the evaluation of the list.
As noted, the formal adoption of the list is expected in the coming weeks, with an implementation horizon of six months after its publication, which is expected before the end of summer.
Source: CNA
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