MEPs have recommended a ban on the use of veterinary medicines to improve performance or compensate for poor animal husbandry.

Preventative use of antibiotics should be limited to single animals in exceptional cases, only when fully justified by a vet and where there is a high risk of infection, they say.

The metaphylactic prescription of antimicrobials – that is treatment of a group of animals when one shows signs of infection – should happen only where there is no appropriate alternative and on a vet prescription, according to a text drafted by MEPs.

The MEPs pledged that EU standards will be imposed on meat imports so that trading partners cannot use antibiotics as growth promoters.

Resistance

Parliament’s draftswoman, Françoise Grossetête (EU Centre-right party, France) said that “as a result of this law, we will be able to reduce the consumption of antibiotics on livestock farms, an important source of resistance that is then transmitted to humans”.

Industry body Animalhealth Europe welcomed the text, which it said would give greater access to a wide range of medicines, which in turn would help animal health management and animal welfare.

“The new rules include a number of positives in terms of medicine safety and addressing antibiotic resistance,” said secretary general Roxane Feller.

IFA animal health chair Pat Farrell said the new EU rules must provide easier access to and greater availability of medicines for Irish farmers. “The new rules must ensure a competitive supply market for medicines is allowed function with minimal bureaucracy,” he said.

The paper will be put to a vote in the environment committee during its 20-21 June meeting and then goes for plenary discussions.