Today the European Parliament backed a reform of the veterinary medicinal products' law that reinforces the single market in this sector. The centralised authorisation procedure will be extended and a database listing all veterinary medicinal products authorised in the EU will be created. 
 

S&D spokesperson on this issue, Claudiu Ciprian Tănăsescu MEP, said:

"This reform will improve efficiency and availability of medicines in Europe. It will also contribute to safeguarding human health and the environment.  It will tackle the overuse of antibiotics in farming practices, and their negative consequences on human health, such as antimicrobial resistance.

"We want to restrict the use of antibiotics for both prophylactic and metaphylactic purposes and establish a list of antibiotics reserved for human use. Human medicines should be used only as the last resort in the treatment of animals." 
 

S&D spokesperson on health and environment, Matthias Groote, said:

"There will also be clear definitions and unambiguous marketing rules for antibiotics in all EU countries.  We must reinforce the traceability of antibiotics in the EU.

"We also demand a thorough look into the environmental impact of active pharmaceutical substances that are being used and are known to pose a risk."