AMR: Germany to tighten rules for livestock antibiotics

German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir is pushing a bill through the country’s parliament that aims for stricter control of antibiotics use in animal husbandry to counter the increasing risk of resistant germs. But associations warn restrictions should not come at the expense of animal health.

The tabled draft amendments to the Veterinary Medicines Act proposed by Özdemir are designed to ensure it provides tighter controls on antibiotics use in animal husbandry.

This includes widening the scope of animals covered by rules to minimise the use of antibiotics and strengthening the enforcement powers of the authorities on the ground by enabling them to order farms to put in place reduction measures.