Following announcements from the European Parliament that more stringent measures will be taken to prevent the development of drug resistant bacteria and the announcement of measures in France aimed at cutting antibiotic use within five years, the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) has announced a package of measures to reduce the use of antibiotics on farm animals.

image expired

The measures, which the BMELV said have been introduced with the aim of gaining better control of the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, will make antibiotic use more transparent, which the department believes will reduce antibiotic use overall and consequently combat resistance.

The ministry said that, with cases of antibiotic resistance on the rise in Germany, the German antibiotic resistance strategy (DART) is more relevant than ever. It stressed that government measures were necessary to prevent antibiotics losing their effectiveness in human and animal treatment. It said antibiotic treatment of farm animals should only be carried out as an absolute last resort.

The German Medicines Act already strictly governs antibiotics use; the drugs may only be used for treating sick animals, not as growth promoters, or prophylactics. Their use to treat diseases ‘caused by rearing conditions’ is also forbidden. However, the BMELV said it hoped its new measures would empower state authorities to further regulate antibiotic use.

As part of the measures:

• Both the German Medicine Act and pharmaceutical regulations will be changed; information on prescription and usage will be made more transparent. Vets will need to keep detailed records of antibiotics supplied to farm animals
• Regulation of veterinary pharmacies will also be increased.
• Next year the government will release detailed information on areas where antibiotic use is most prevalent and where levels of resistant bacteria are highest. The German authorities said they would use this data to further analyse the problem.
• The BMELV will found a new working group, the Antibiotic Resistance Working Group, which will deliver an assessment of the problem and develop strategies for risk management and future control of antibiotics.

Commenting on the new package of measures, German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner said stricter control of the use of antibiotics in farming is imperative. She said that increased analysis of levels of antimicrobial use and resistance would provide Germany with the information needed to stand up to the threat of antimicrobial resistance and potentially influence new legislation at an EU-level.

Following the European Commission’s announcement that its twelve point plan would aim to tackle misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and agriculture, NFU vice president and vice chair of the Copa Animal Health and Welfare Working Group, Gwyn Jones claimed the issue of antibiotic resistance had been "disproportionally focused on livestock farmers" and alleged misuse of antibiotics within the medical profession was a greater problem.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged, "One of the biggest challenges ahead is antimicrobial resistance and the livestock industry across Europe needs to take its responsibilities seriously."