Future Animal Health Regulation of the EU

Future Animal Health Regulation of the EU

Animal health is a concern for all European citizens, as it may have an impact on public health, food safety and food security. Furthermore outbreaks of animal diseases cause animal suffering and can trigger high costs to the farming sector as well as to society as a whole. To meet these concerns the European Commission has proposed a new Regulation on Animal Health which currently is under consideration by the European Parliament and the EU Member States. 

A major objective of the proposal is to ensure a high level of public health and food safety by minimizing the incidence of biological risks to humans. Another objective is to promote animal health by preventing and reducing the incidence of animal diseases and in this way to support farming and the rural economy.

Based on the ”Prevention is better than cure” concept of the EU Animal Health Strategy, published in 2007, one operational objective is to integrate the new prevention-driven and incentive-oriented approach into the core of animal health policy to provide for a clear and balanced distribution of roles and responsibilities between competent authorities, EU institutions, the farming sector, animal owners and others.

A major challenge is how to ensure long term prevention of serious infectious animal diseases without causing unnecessary disruptions of trade. Another challenge is to reduce the need for antimicrobials in animal production, not least by controlling endemic diseases. Improved animal health and decreased usage of antimicrobials are key measure to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance. These and other overriding issues will be addressed at the round table discussion. The aim is to provide an opportunity for informal reflections in the light of the coming legislative negotiations and associated work for the improvement of the animal health status in the EU.

For more information and programme, please read PDF-invitation.