Council conclusions on the next steps towards making the EU a best practice region in combatting antimicrobial resistance.

The Council of the European Union’s "Conclusions on the next steps towards making the EU a best practice region in combatting antimicrobial resistance " define the actions that the EU Commission and Member States must take together to help combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The document recognizes AMR as a global public health concern, the impact of which goes beyond its severe consequences for human and animal health, as it also impacts on the environment and food production and consequently economic growth.
The EU Council calls upon Member States to, among others: ensure that all Member States have in place multi-sectoral National Action Plans and coordination and monitoring mechanisms in fulfilment of their commitments under the Global Action Plan on AMR and in line with the One Health approach; aAllocate sufficient human and financial resources for the development and implementation of actions on AMR, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and antimicrobial stewardship at policy and clinical level; strengthen IPC measures, both in the human and the animal health sectors, in particular in healthcare settings, by investing in hygiene practices and prevention actions, including vaccinations, biosecurity and ensuring of access to standard and rapid diagnostic methods to be used to confirm the type of infection prior to the use of antibiotics, thereby helping to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics and the associated risk of developing AMR; enforce existing legislation on the use and sales of antimicrobials, in particular to restrict over-the-counter sales; develop information activities on infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship in human and animal healthcare settings, for health workers, patients and their relatives, veterinarians, farmers, and the general public, including children.