Parliament sides with Commission to approve controversial new antimicrobials rules

The European Parliament has given its green light to a controversial new antimicrobials regulation, dismissing a motion calling for tighter restrictions on antibiotics use in animals and allowing the Commission to move forward on its plans to tackle anti-microbial resistance.

Lawmakers gave their blessing to the Commission’s delegated act on Thursday (16 September), which is designed to tackle the burgeoning issue of anti-microbial resistance (AMR).

The act, which was presented back in May, proposes criteria for the designation of antimicrobials to be reserved for the treatment of certain infections in humans, as advised by the European Medicines Agency and supported by EU governments.

A key priority for the Commission, AMR is the ability of microorganisms to resist antimicrobial treatments, especially antibiotics.