Combating antimicrobial resistance in a ‘one health’ approach – Council recommendation

SUMMARY OF:

Council recommendation on stepping up EU actions to combat antimicrobial resistance in a ‘one health’ approach

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE RECOMMENDATION?

The recommendation addresses the European Union (EU) Member States and the European Commission and aims to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR)* in a ‘one health’ approach.
The recommendation seeks to encourage the prudent use of antimicrobials such as antibiotics in human and animal health through a series of measures, with the aim of reducing the risk that microorganisms will become resistant to medical intervention.
It is part of a package designed to reform EU pharmaceutical legislation.

KEY POINTS

A key tenet of the recommendation is that AMR is a ‘one health’ issue, which means that it encompasses human health, animal health, plant health and the environment. As a multifaceted cross-border threat to health, AMR cannot be tackled by one sector independently or by individual countries alone.

The recommendation encourages Member States to:

introduce national action plans against AMR by June 2024, based on the ‘one health’ approach;
improve surveillance and monitoring of AMR and antimicrobial consumption;
strengthen infection prevention and control;
strengthen antimicrobial stewardship and the prudent use of antimicrobials;
take appropriate national measures to achieve the targets for AMR and antimicrobial consumption in human health by 2030, among which are:
- a reduction of the total consumption of antibiotics in humans by 20%,
- at least 65% of the total consumption of antibiotics to come from the ‘access’ group of antibiotics as defined in the AWaRe classification* of the World Health Organization,
- a reduction of the incidence of bloodstream infections with three key antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

It welcomes the Commission’s role in:

supporting and complementing Member States’ awareness-raising activities on AMR, and supporting Member States in the continuous training and lifelong learning of professionals working in ‘one health’ sectors;
fostering research and development, and incentives for innovation in and access to antimicrobials and other AMR medical countermeasures;
increasing cooperation on AMR between Member States and relevant EU agencies, such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the European Chemicals Agency, the European Environment Agency, the European Food Safety Authority and the European Medicines Agency;
enhancing global initiatives on AMR.

BACKGROUND

Identified as one of the top three priority health threats facing the EU, AMR is what occurs when potentially dangerous microorganisms, such as bacteria, evolve and stop responding to antibiotics that had previously been successful in treating them. It is estimated that more than 35,000 people die each year in the EU as a direct consequence of an infection due to bacteria resistant to antibiotics. AMR:

makes infections harder to treat;
leads to a higher risk of disease, severe illness and death;
impacts healthcare and food production; and
affects humans, animals and plants, along with the environment.

For further information, see:

Council recommendation (European Commission)
A European One Health Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

Antimicrobial resistance. The ability of a microorganism to survive or to grow in the presence of a concentration of an antimicrobial agent that is usually sufficient to inhibit or kill that microorganism.

AWaRe classification. The World Health Organization’s AWaRe classification is a tool for monitoring antibiotic consumption, defining targets and monitoring the effects of stewardship policies that aim to optimise antibiotic use and curb antimicrobial resistance.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council Recommendation on stepping up EU actions to combat antimicrobial resistance in a One Health approach (OJ C 220, 22.6.2023, pp. 1–20).

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