WRITTEN QUESTION E-1893/99

by Gérard Deprez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 October 1999)

Subject: Food safety

Is the Commission aware that the FDA (the American public body responsible for food safety) has recently announced that it might very soon impose restrictions upon the widespread use of antibiotics on livestock following research showing that bacteria resistant to antibiotics may be transmitted to humans from animals treated with these drugs?

1. Is the Commission aware of this kind of research or of similar conclusions? Can it at least confirm that such research is being carried out and supported at European level? If so, does this research point to similar results?

2. May we assume that the precautionary principle is being currently respected in Europe on this matter, and in particular, could the Commission indicate the surveillance and monitoring systems now operating along the food chain with a view to preventing the possible transmission of this resistance to humans?

3. Does not the Commission intend to propose improvements to the present system, given the importance that it now appears to want to attach to food safety and given the disastrous impact that this transfer of bacteria might have on human health?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 1999)

1. The Commission is aware that many international organisations, especially the World Health Organisation, and various governments are looking at the problem of antimicrobial resistance, as is the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well.

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member's attention to the fact that it banned the use of tetracyclines as additives in the 1970s and the use of ardacin in January 1998, and that it suspended approval for avoparcin in January 1997 and more recently (December 1998) for four other antibiotics (bacitracin zinc, virginiamycin, tylosin phosphate, spiramycin). These bans were imposed in order to restrict the use of these antibiotics or related molecules to human medicine with a view to limiting the development of cross-resistance and preventing the spread of resistance to humans, and to avoid a situation where human medicines are less effective.

Furthermore, the Commission asked the Scientific Steering Committee to look at the problem of antimicrobial resistance from a general perspective. The Committee presented its report on 28 May 1999 and stressed the need to reduce the general use of antibiotics in all areas: human medicine, veterinary medicine, additives in animal feedingstuffs and pesticides. The Commission is studying these recommendations and will submit appropriate proposals for legislation.

2. The Commission already applied the precautionary principle when it suspended approval for the use of the above-mentioned antibiotics as additives, and it will continue to do so in future if this proves necessary

The Commission has already collected data on bacteria resistant to antibiotics, particularly salmonella typhimurium DT104, under Council Directive 92/117/EEC of 17 December 1992 concerning measures for protection against specified zoonoses and specified zoonotic agents in animals and products of animal origin in order to prevent outbreaks of food-borne infections and intoxications(1). Furthermore, a research project (FAIR) has been launched to look at strategies for monitoring resistance to antibiotics in bacteria of animal origin.

3. With regard to authorised antibiotics in animal feedingstuffs, the Commission intends to follow the advice of the Scientific Steering Committee, namely to stop as quickly as possible the use of antibiotics which are being or could be utilised in human medicine and, in the longer term, to ban all use of antibiotics as additives.

As regards public health, the Commission has on a number of occasions already demonstrated that it is giving serious consideration to the problem of antimicrobial resistance.

The Commission is providing support for Enter-net, an international network for monitoring gastro-enteritis, especially human salmonellosis and infection with E. coli O 157. This includes resistance to antibiotics of salmonella isolates. All Member States are involved, along with Switzerland and Norway.

In order to make up for the lack of information on bacteria resistant to antibiotics and their importance in terms of public health, the Commission in August 1999 issued an invitation to tender for a study into the use of antimicrobial agents in the Community with a view to establishing a basis for future surveillance measures in this field.

(1) OJ L 62, 15.3.1993.