EMA and EFSA Joint Scientific Opinion on measures to reduce the need to use antimicrobial agents in animal husbandry in the European Union, and the resulting impacts on food safety (RONAFA)

Summary

This joint EFSA–EMA scientific opinion provides a comprehensive assessment of antimicrobial reduction strategies across the European Union's food-producing animal sector. The authors document that whilst individual measures' impacts are difficult to isolate due to multiple confounding factors, evidence supports an association between reduced antimicrobial use and decreased AMR. The opinion recommends a multifaceted approach combining national strategies, improved surveillance, veterinary governance, enhanced disease prevention through husbandry improvements, and development of alternative interventions such as probiotics and bacteriophages.

Regional applicability

The findings and recommendations are directly applicable to United Kingdom practice, as this assessment was conducted under the EU regulatory framework in which the UK participated at the time of publication. The recommended governance structures, monitoring systems, and disease prevention approaches remain relevant to current UK animal health policy, though post-Brexit implementation may require adapted legislative mechanisms.

Key measures

Antimicrobial use reduction; antimicrobial resistance prevalence; implementation of national reduction targets; benchmarking systems; prescribing controls; adoption of alternatives (probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriophages, organic acids)

Outcomes reported

The paper reviews EU-wide measures implemented to reduce antimicrobial use in food-producing animals and evaluates their impact on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It identifies successful reduction strategies across Member States and recommends a multifaceted integrated approach including national targets, monitoring systems, veterinary oversight, disease prevention, and alternative products.

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