The health of animals and humans is closely linked, with animal well-being playing a vital role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem and ensuring human health. Responsible medicine use in farming goes beyond treating illness – it supports sustainable practices that protect both livestock and the environment. Every decision in animal care has far-reaching effects, influencing public health, food security, and the planet’s future.
In recent years, the European Commission has introduced new legislation, such as the Animal Health Law and the Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products, to strengthen disease prevention and treatment. These measures promote the use of diagnostic tools, vaccines, and biosecurity practices while ramping up the fight against antimicrobial resistance, ensuring a healthier future for animals, people, and the environment.
But what should be the EU's next steps under this new mandate to further advance a preventive approach in both animal and human health?
To discuss this topic, The Parliament organised an event last month in collaboration with EPRUMA, the Brussels based European Platform for Responsible Use of Medicines in Animals.
The event celebrated twenty years of work by EPRUMA, which unites veterinarians, farmers, agri-cooperatives, animal medicine and diagnostics manufacturers, feed producers, and professionals in animal health, sanitary security, and sustainable agriculture. Speakers highlighted the group’s achievements, but also the future challenges Europe will face in promoting the responsible use of medicines for animals, and the importance of investments in preventative healthcare.
EPRUMA works to bring together different sectors involved in animal management to come up with best practices and approaches to improve their wellbeing. Since 2008, they have produced five ‘best practice’ guidelines to help stakeholders in taking care of animals’ health. These cover the responsible use of parasite control, vaccines, anthelmintics, antimicrobials and antibiotics.
In the latest guide, published last year, there is a list of best practices, for instance, for parasite prevention, among the drivers for diseases. EPRUMA advises to tailor parasite control to each pet’s needs, educate owners, maintain hygiene, choose appropriate products, conduct regular testing, monitor invasive species, ensure parasite-free transport, and promote vet-medical collaboration.
Speaking at the event, Catherine Mclaughlin, chair of EPRIMA, reflected on two decades of work. She underlined in particular the success of the group in having substantially reduced the use of antibiotics for animals. The overuse of antibiotics can have several long-term negative effects, such as an increased risk of bacteria becoming more resistant, posing a greater risk to both people and animals.
"It is important to use antibiotics as little as possible,” McLaughlin told attendees. “We have made significant improvements in the last 20 years. While they are sometimes necessary, they should not be used when they are not needed.”
According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the sales of veterinary antibiotics decreased by 53% between 2011 and 2022, reaching the lowest level ever reported, according to data from 25 countries.
To continue this progress EPRUMA is urging a holistic approach, with a focus on prevention to maintain animals' wellbeing. They recommend measures such as boosting biosecurity, improving proper hygiene, innovating feeding techniques and monitoring husbandry conditions, which can greatly increase the wellbeing of all animals.
This message was echoed by the two MEP co-hosts for the event, Vytenis Andriukaitis, the former European Commissioner for health, and the Portuguese MEP Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral. “Antibiotic resistance here in Europe is a difficult situation, and it is quite difficult to address, MEP Cabral said. “It is very, very important for us to prevent by improving the welfare conditions of our animals, of course, improving the conditions of livestock, and of course using vaccines. And with all of that, we will reduce the need to intervene with the use of antibiotics.”
He added that more should be done to support farmers to vaccinate their livestock, given the potential high cost. “It's quite difficult if we want them to comply and participate actively. If not, I'm afraid that maybe we will not have their commitment on this. So we need to create the conditions for all the stakeholders, all the active participants to be engaged in this process.”
Speaking at the event, Bernard Van Goethem, European Commission director of crisis preparedness in food, animals and plants, said the EU needed a more “targeted” and efficient approach to vaccination whenever a disease appears and immunisation is required.
MEP Andriukaitis said it was vital to build trust between stakeholders and at all levels – from the EU level down to local level. “How can we improve prudent use of antibiotics or prudent use of medicines? Trust is must. We can overcome silo mentality only if we are building trust with different actors in different areas at different levels and with different arguments,” he said. “We need to now use all our efforts – education, development, communication strategies, information campaigns, awareness days – and invite actors at different levels. It's up to us to develop good practices at the regional level, to disseminate good practices, and build trust.”
What the future holds
During the previous legislative mandate, the European Commission published a group of legislative and not-legislative initiatives called “Farm To Fork Strategy”, which, amongst other policies, aimed to [CC1] review the European Union legislation on animal welfare.
The proposal was put forward by the European Commission in 2020, but due to political division, the new Commission does not have such a strong focus on the Farm to Fork strategy.
In the medium-long term, the EU continues work on new legislation on animal welfare, as the European Commission announced in its vision for agriculture and food unveiled on 19 February.
A holistic approach
Achieving a truly responsible use of medicines in animals requires a holistic approach—one that brings together veterinarians, farmers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders in a shared commitment to animal health and welfare.
During the event at the European Parliament, Miguel Ángel Higuera, a leading expert in animal welfare at Copa-Cogeca, an EPRUMA partner, emphasised the importance of veterinarians being “friends of the farmers.” He highlighted their crucial role in identifying issues on farms and the role of veterinarians in educating farmers on new practices to improve animal health.
Looking at the future, Higuera also highlighted the necessity to re-think the “pyramid of production,” and to work in a way to change the mindset of many involved in farming to make the change more effective.
As EPRUMA looks to the future, the path forward is filled with both opportunities and challenges. Beyond reducing antibiotic use, the sector must embrace innovative prevention strategies, enhance biosecurity, and rethink traditional production models to foster long-term change.
Shifting mindsets and strengthening collaboration will be key to ensuring that the progress made over the past two decades continues to evolve, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient approach to animal health management in Europe.
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