Press release no. 245 from 17.11.11Aigner welcomes EU Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance

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Today, the EU Commission presented an action plan to combat the increasing risk of worldwide antimicrobial resistance in Brussels. Federal Minister of Consumer Protection Ilse Aigner commented on this in Berlin: "I expressly welcome the long awaited initiative. It shows that we are looking for a comprehensive and joint European answer to the global problem of increasing antimicrobial resistance. We must make every effort to ensure that further restrictions are introduced throughout Europe on the use of anti biotics in animal production. I expect the EU Commission to make specific proposals for changes to the EU-wide applicable provisions very soon. Until these new regulations come into force we will rigorously continue our measures in Germany to minimise the use of antibiotics, improve transparency and intensify the controls."

The measures announced by Commissioner Dalli on Thursday concern the areas of human and veterinary medicine as well as different aspects of research and development. In the veterinary area the measures presented by the EU focus in particular on

• examining whether regulations on the use of veterinary medicines can be strenghtened
• creating joint guidelines on the responsible use of antimicrobials
• making infection prevention an essential objective of EU animal welfare legislation (prevention-instead-of-control principle)
• harmonising data collection systems on the levels of antimicrobial consumption and
• extending the antimicrobial resistance monitoring.

The objective of these measures confirm that the Federal Government, in launching the "German Antibiotic Resistance Strategy" (DART) in 2008, which already integrates all the areas named, -has set the standard. "We are on the right track, but we must not stop – neither at the national nor international level" said Aigner. As recently presented, the BMELV will be implementing a raft of targeted measures, enabling the use of antibiotics in animal production to be recorded even better in the future and will also review the use of data. "It is our objective to minimise the quantities of antimicrobials used in Germany and improve controls by the competent Länder authorities" Aigner said.

"However, new and extended requirements at national and European level do not change the principle that the compliance with all rules and provisions must be vigorously controlled," reaffirmed the Federal Minister. "Control is the task of the Länder authorities. The Länder are responsible for the control of veterinary surgeries and livestock farms. The Länder authorities already have all instruments at their disposal to investigate any suspicion of the non-compliant application of veterinary medicinal products and to stop any non-compliance. Inspectors can visit and control holdings at any time." Aigener called upon the Länder once again "to use of their monitoring, control and sanctioning powers as rigorously as possible."