Together with Iceland and Norway, 27 European Union countries (EU27) have collected and reported data on the sales and use of antibiotics in their own countries. The findings are published in the First European Sales and Use of Antibiotics for Veterinary Medicine (Esuavet) Annual Surveillance Report. The data covers 2023 and marks the beginning of regular exercises that bring annual reports.
Sales data
Sales of antibiotics in food-producing animals accounted for 98% of total veterinary sales that contained substances that were accompanied by antibiotics. The most sold class of antimicrobial agents for food-producing animals was penicillin, followed by tetracyclines and sulfonamides. According to the AMEG classification of antibiotics for use in animals for careful and responsible use developed by the EMA Ad Hoc Expert Group, approximately 65% of total EU sales of food-producing animals corresponded to substances belonging to category D (where possible should be used as the first line treatment whenever possible), while 29% should correspond to category C (clinical C). Category B (which is very important in human medicines, but use in animals should be limited to reduce public health risks).
Usage data
Data on usage were collected in 2023 for four major food-producing animal species: cattle, pig, chicken and turkey. Veterinarians played an important role in data collection as they were selected as the sole data provider by 16 reporting countries. The remaining 13 reporting countries used other data providers in addition to veterinarians, including pharmacies, feed factories, farmers, breeders and retailers.
This is the first time that data on usage has been collected across the EU. Many countries are in the process of setting up or improving data collection systems for antibiotic use. Therefore, shared data for 2023 was not complete and accurate enough to begin reporting quantitative information. Member States are committed to integrating the use of usage data collection systems with the aim of improving accuracy and coverage. The initiative already demonstrates strong cooperation between reporting countries. This is because those with experience collecting data on antibacterial use provide guidance and support, promoting a productive and collaborative environment.
Antibacterial Sales and Use (ASU) Platform
The Esuavet report is based on European surveillance of the Veterinary Antibacterial Consumption (ESVAC) Project, a voluntary initiative between national authorities and the EMA to collect reliable sales data across Europe over 12 years. A 50% decrease in veterinary antibiotic sales was observed during this period. This was observed thanks to the collective efforts of the nation that developed national strategies to provide data, encourage responsible use, and developed national strategies for field practitioners and farmers.
The ESVAC initiative is considered to be extremely successful and has officially expanded EU Law Includes essential data collection regarding the sale and use of animal antibiotics. Member States report data to the EMA through the ASU platform. The ASU platform is a centralized system designed to standardize and streamline data received from countries.
Data from the annual Esuavet report, collected via the ASU platform, helps to more accurately and more granularly identify trends in antibacterial consumption in animals, allowing decision-makers to address the increased complexity of antimicrobial resistance and take appropriate measures to protect both animal and human health in Europe.
