New EU rules on veterinary medicines to support responsible use of antibiotics

Widely promoted by the European Commission as a key tool to address the challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the new EU rules on veterinary medicines taking effect in January 2022 set out a number of limitations and restrictions regarding the use of antibiotics in animal health care.

This was one of the intended objectives alongside reducing administrative burden; stimulating innovation; improving the functioning of the single market, and improving the availability of veterinary medicines. These objectives had the collective goal of encouraging the development of suitable medicines for all animal species and making a wider range of medicines available across all EU countries.