An effort by the EU to stem the spread of drug-resistant superbugs — which the leader of the World Health Organization says could lead to the “end of modern medicine as we know it” — is stalled in the European Parliament in a rift that transcends party affiliation.
With around 25,000 annual EU deaths blamed on growing resistance to existing antibiotics, the practice of routinely feeding or giving antibiotics to animals is under closer scrutiny. Backers of more aggressive restrictions in livestock breeding are encouraged by a declaration of G7 health ministers earlier this month, which pushed to “strengthen the prudent use of antimicrobials” in both human and veterinary medicine.
But the modest bid by the Parliament to take action is bogged down by regional differences.
Northern states and Germany tend to back stricter measures. Southern states like Spain and Italy, leaders in sales of antimicrobials for food-producing animals, according to a report by the European Medicines Agency published this month, favor a lighter regulatory touch.
“It seems to me that the divisions on this issue are less marked by political affiliation but more by the origin of the parliamentarians and their member states’ handling with antibiotics,” said Peter Liese, a German MEP from the center-right European People’s Party.
For example, Spanish Socialist MEP Clara Aguilera García, the rapporteur for the legislation in the Agriculture and Rural Development committee, is accused of watering down the Commission’s proposal.
“We are not at all content with what she is doing,” said her Swedish committee colleague Frederick Federley, of the Alliance of Liberals & Democrats. “There will be a huge fight in the Parliament about this.”
Aguilera García, in her draft report to the committee, said setting a too-strict limit for antimicrobial use in medicated animal feed would “increase costs for medicated feed manufacturers,” potentially leading them to abandon production. She could not be reached for a comment on the criticism, which comes even from northern European members of her own party.
Misuse of antibiotics leads microbes to survive treatment and become stronger, making newer medicines less effective. Misuse includes treating animals that are not sick as a preventative measure against disease and using the drugs to treat the flu virus in humans — which they are ineffective at treating.
Antibiotics were a medical breakthrough when discovered decades ago, boosting the survival rate of patients, in particular from infection after surgeries. But increasing resistance to them led World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan to declare a potential end of modern medicine.
Vytenis Andriukaitis, the European commissioner for health and food safety, spoke on Thursday at an EU-U.S. conference on fighting superbugs, arguing “we have to raise public awareness on antibiotics overuse and misuse.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel put the issue on the agenda of a G7 summit of world leaders in June.
A second Commission proposal, to limit the use of the medicines for animals when they are not sick, is also controversial. More than 1,000 amendments were tabled in the Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety committee. A vote was postponed from September to November, and then on Tuesday it was delayed until February amid infighting.
“I think the negotiations have reached a deadlock […] We just go through the same items without listening to each other properly,” said Finnish MEP Merja Kyllönen, the shadow rapporteur from the European United Left/Nordic Green Left group, who backs stricter limits on the drugs.
German MEP Martin Häusling from the Greens/European Free Alliance called the Commission’s proposal “feeble” and demanded that certain antibiotics be reserved for use in humans only. Moreover, he called for better documentation on the sale and use of drugs in the EU.
Françoise Grossetête, a European People’s Party member and rapporteur on the animal meds legislation, admitted “the negotiations are indeed intense.” She said she agrees in principle with demands to tighten up the legislation, but also wants provisions “to stimulate and support innovation and research so that new antibiotics can quickly reach the market.”
But even if her committee reaches a compromise in February, German MEP Liese worries that a weaker bill in the agriculture committee could undermine their efforts.
“What we absolutely need to avoid is that one regulation sets strong standards while the other one leaves loopholes that can be used to sideline these restrictions,” he said.
The pharmaceutical lobby contends it backs “responsible use” of antibiotics, but says it is concerned about animal welfare.
“Of course we support the responsible use of antibiotics. If not, we kill our own products,” Rick Clayton from the International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH-Europe), a pharma lobby, said.
A big problem with antibiotics for pharma companies is they tend not to be huge cash generators, and the growing resistance of bugs to them makes the products even less attractive.
Drugmakers thus wants increased funding for the development of new antibiotics. “We fear a decline in innovation, because the research for antibiotics is very expensive but their sales and usage is limited. You can’t give the same drugs to cows and chickens,” Clayton said.
Amanda Cheesley from COPA-COGECA, the biggest EU farmers’ organization, agreed that instead of beefing up the EU restrictions, “developing new antibiotics, and promoting their responsible use, is a key factor to fight antibiotic resistance.”
Veterinarians, for their part, argue that there are other options instead of restricting or banning the use of certain antibiotics.
“Disease prevention is even more important than prudent use,” Jan Vaarten, executive director of the Federations of Veterinarians of Europe, said. “Most can be gained by improving husbandry conditions in animal breeding.”
Swedish Liberal MEP Federley agrees that the often poor living conditions of animals should be part of the debate.
He pointed to a Commission directive to improve the conditions for pigs.
“That was in 2008. But only eight member states have applied it so far.”
This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro.