A new set of European rules aims at curbing the use of antibiotics in farming and establishing stricter rules on food imports to limit the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The transmission of drug resistance from animals to humans is a serious threat to our environment, our food and our health.

EU politics

food safety

health (2841)

farming sector

Environment

Tackling the spread of drug resistance from animals to humans

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/17669593/N01-PUB-181009-VETI-EN.srt

In this organic farm in Sardinia, good practices keep animals healthy

 and reduce their consumption of antibiotics, making their meat safer to eat.

Drug resistance spreads from animals to humans through the food chain. 

To halt its transmission, the European Parliament is working on new measures 

curbing the preventative and collective use of antibiotics. 

 If I observe certain symptoms, I ask for the vet's advice 

on whether to use them or not, but only on the affected animal.

The preventative use of antimicrobials will be limited to single cases

 where the risk of a severe infection is high and certified by a veterinarian. 

A vet prescribes the use of antibiotics only in the case of an infectious disease, 

Some antimicrobials will be reserved for human use only.

MEPs also want to encourage the research into new antimicrobials

 and to impose the reciprocity of EU standards

 in the use of antibiotics for imported foodstuffs.

It is very important to reduce as much as possible the presence 

of antibiotics both in EU-produced and in imported meat. 

This is why the reciprocity principle is essential.

Under the new law, only trading partners who comply 

with the same limitations as their EU counterparts 

will be able to keep exporting their meat products to Europe.