Reduce antibiotics use in EU, Parliament told

The Nordic Council has called on the European Parliament to tighten EU regulations on antibiotic use in animals, as part of a wider effort to tackle anti­microbial resistance.

The group, which represents Nordic MPs, says European laws need to restrict the use of antibiotics in animals, particularly those that produce food for humans, in order to minimise the risk and spread of antimicrobial resistance. EU legislation on animal health is under negotiation, and the Nordic Council issued a set of recommendations at a Parliament seminar on 22 April.

The recommendations include increasing cooperation between human and animal medicines research, no longer using antibiotics to prevent diseases in animals, and improving controls to stop antibiotics from contaminating the environment.