Policy activity: Public health, Food Safety, Animal health, plant health

Background

Antimicrobials are essential as drugs for human and animal health and welfare, and as disinfectants, antiseptics and hygiene products. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a health concern that is related to both human and non-human antimicrobial usage. On 10 June 2008, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers Affairs Council adopted Conclusions on AMR calling among other things upon the Commission to promote mutual cooperation between all Directorates General and concerned Agencies and to facilitate cooperation between Member States on all aspects of AMR. Reference is made to human and veterinary medicine, residues in the environment and the possible contribution of biocides to the occurrence of AMR. The management and the prevention of AMR have become more difficult during the past decades by the decreasing pace of introduction on the market of new classes of antimicrobial medicinal products.

The purpose of the paper is to serve as a basis of discussion and further reflections on the ways to tackle the growing public and animal health problem of AMR. The working paper provides an overview of the activities already undertaken of the EU in combating the AMR in the past decades. The paper collects the activities related to AMR in the areas of public health, zoonosis control, animal health and welfare. It covers among others monitoring, risk assessment, risk management and research on AMR. It also identifies areas where further actions, like improvement of surveillance systems in human medicine and ensuring the prudent use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry, may need to be reflected.

The full staff working document can be consulted at:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biosafety/salmonella/antimicrobial_resistance.pdf

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) have published a joint scientific opinion on AMR focused on infections transmitted to humans from animals and food (zoonoses) which provides useful background information. Available at:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/scdocs/scdoc/1372.htm and http://www.emea.europa.eu/pdfs/vet/sagam/44725909en.pdf

Objective of the consultation: The aim of the consultation is to gather stakeholders' opinion on the staff working document and its reflections on the way to tackle AMR

Target groups: Stakeholders, competent authorities, medical doctors, veterinarians, scientists

Period of consultation: from January until end of March 2010

How to submit your contribution?

There is no specific format to be used. All contributions should be sent to SANCO-CONSULT-E2@ec.europa.eu

Important notice

At the end of the consultation period, a short report will be drafted with the main reactions and made available to all those who replied.

Please see the attached privacy statement and the policy for the protection of personal data.

Contact details

Responsible service: DG Health and Consumer Affairs, Unit E2 – Food hygiene, alert system and training
Contact person: Mrs Leena Räsänen
E-mail: to SANCO-CONSULT-E2@ec.europa.eu
Telephone: 0032 229 64738