Focusing on the future for farm animal medicines - Commission proposals for legislative change now published

Animal medicines will continue to play a vital role in the future of British livestock production. This is the message behind the NOAH stand at the Agrivision event, held at the National Agricultural Centre in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire on 5 and 6 December. But threats to animal medicine availability can only be detrimental to animal - and public - health.

The Agrivision event focuses on farming's future, something close to NOAH's heart, as the European Commission proposals to update the EU legislation controlling the licensing of animal medicines are debated. The revised regulations will control animal medicines in Europe for the next decade, and the Commission's proposals for change have finally been published. They now go to members of the European Parliament, and to the European Council of Agricultural Ministers for consideration.

The European Regulation that set up the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (and a centralised European procedure for licensing animal medicines) required the Commission to carry out a review of the legislative procedures for control of animal medicines after five years. NOAH, through its European federation FEDESA, has been involved in a good constructive dialogue with the Commission in the development of these proposals. Much of what is proposed is good - the importance of animal medicines is recognised and suggestions made which, if they are adopted, will improve availability, particularly for minor species. But a spanner has been thrown into the works. At the last minute a clause was introduced which would mean all food animal medicines would be available only on prescription - putting an end to the effective UK PML (merchants) category for routine preventative medicines and treatments, such as wormers, ectoparasite treatments and some vaccines.

DEFRA has acknowledged that the UK's controlled yet practical system works. Farmers have access to medicines and a choice of supply, yet the training and codes of practice governing animal health distributors mean there are sufficient controls to safeguard the health of anyone consuming livestock produce. DEFRA has said that the government is committed to seeking an amendment in the proposals to give sufficient flexibility to allow national systems of distribution to continue - a move welcomed by NOAH.

But NOAH's work, alongside colleagues from other agricultural, professional and animal welfare organisations, does not stop here. This 'alliance' will be working to persuade MEPs of the need for this flexibility - as will FEDESA.

Of course animal medicines are not the only factor in reducing the incidence of disease. NOAH has been involved with a number of codes of practice for the responsible use of animal medicines - for example the RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance) antibiotic codes. With these, the whole ethos has been not to just look at medicine use - the whole husbandry system needs to be right to keep animals healthy and prevent disease as much as possible. The aim is not just to reduce the need for medicines - but also to use them properly when they are needed. It would be counterproductive not to use animal medicines - for optimum animal welfare (and food safety) they have a vital role to play.

5 December 2001

Notes for Editors

1. For further information contact Roger Cook or Alison Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131, or visit the NOAH website.
2. The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. The association has 38 corporate members and 11 associate members. In 2000 NOAH's members accounted for around 95% of the £357 million UK animal health market, with additional valuable exports.
3. The Commission's proposals for legislative change (200 pages long) can be downloaded.