ENVI I

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY

Submitted by: Ioanna Antoniou (CY), Avgi Economou (CY), Anastasia Georgiou (CY), Anna Nechaeva (CY),Markos Televantos (CY), Madeleine Theodoulou (CY), Polyna Antoniou (CY, Chairperson).

A. Taking into account that antimicrobial resistance (AMR 25 ) has transformed into a serious threat to public health due to the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics,

B. Emphasising the lack of proper knowledge among EU citizens regarding AMR, hence increasing the misuse of antibiotics,

C. Deeply concerned that between 2015-2050, deaths caused by AMR are estimated to be around 10 million in the EU ,

D. Bearing in mind that only 23 EU Member States have an implemented national framework for health technology assessments (HTAs) 26 ,

E. Noting that the reduced market value and potential revenue of antibiotic research has limited the possibilities of: i. discovering new ways to tackle AMR, ii. investigating a way to diagnose AMR,

25 AMR refers to microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites that become resistant to the treatment given to patients in order to treat infectious diseases. 26 Health technology assessment (HTA) is a systematic evaluation of properties, effects and/or impacts of health technology. It is used for the evaluation of social economic, organizational and ethical issues of a health intervention or health technology.

F. G. H. I. J. K. 1.

Aware of the fact that 75% of EU countries do not follow the guidelines proposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) regarding AMR, allowing for the excessive

purchasing of antibiotics without prescription, Alarmed by the fact that AMR affects the global trade and economy by disrupting productivity, increasing healthcare costs for Member States and resulting in a 2-3.5%

annual decrease in global Gross domestic product (GDP) 27 , Affirming with dissatisfaction that the non-prudent use of antibiotics in animals

contributes to the possibility of zoonoses 28 , increasing the likelihood of AMR, Concerned with the predicted 65% increase in drug concentration in rivers and oceans by 2050, the AMR development and spread on animals and consequently on humans related to it,

Noting with deep concern the poor infection control practices (IPC measures) 29 in

health-care facilities and hospitals, Anxious that the overcrowding in hospitals contributes to the accumulation of microbes

by increasing the chances of in-hospital microbe transmission; Invites Member States to develop and implement a national framework to increase the knowledge and raise awareness around AMR by: a. incorporating presentations in schools’ curriculum on AMR adapted to specific age groups, b. implementing mandatory seminars held in work places around AMR’s threats and effects, c. encouraging the appointment of existing bodies as sources of information around the issue and as promoters of the proper use of antibiotics;

27 GDP is the accumulated value of all finished goods and services procured in a country annually. 28 Zoonoses are any diseases or infections that are naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans that can also be transmitted through animal consumption. 29 IPC measures are the measures that are in place in order to protect the people that may be vulnerable to getting an infection in daily life or while receiving medical care when facing health issues.

2.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Strongly advises Member States to ensure that the implemented at a national level;

European initiative 30 on HTAs is

Appeals to the Directorate General for Research and Innovation (RG RTD) 31 to invest

in intensified research on the development of diagnostic tests, and AMR treatment; Instructs the European Commission to work with Member States to develop and implement a national healthcare framework within Ministries of Health that focuses on AMR surveillance, which will: a. share information and progress in the field with relevant stakeholders, b. ensure that the amount of antibiotics sold match the amount of prescriptions given, c. update and maintain the record of each patients’ antibiotic consumption,

d. follow GDPR patient confidentiality; Calls upon national Ministries of Agriculture to: a. make animal vaccines accessible for the agricultural sector, reducing the need and misuse of antibiotics, b. create guidelines easily accessible to farmers on the necessary quality of

hygiene in farms and on how to protect animal welfare; Proposes the European Commission in collaboration with Member States to develop a framework on ensuring that farmers receive an amount of antibiotics directly correlated

to their livestock’s needs, with extra antibiotics given only under veterinary provision; Requests the Ministries of Agriculture to improve the existing policies regarding the construction of pharmaceutical factories by: a. reducing the amount of pollution permits 32 distributed to each factory, b. fining the factories exceeding these permits, c. monitoring the pollution levels of various locations and restricting factory practices if they exceed given levels in that area, d. investigating ways to treat chemical waste safely as a replacement of river disposal;

30 The European initiative is ‘strengthening EU cooperation beyond 2020’ that was created with the aim of improving the functioning of the single market for health technologies. 31 The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation is a Directorate-Generalof the European Commission, responsible for the European Union's research and innovation policy and coordination of research and innovation activities. 32 Pollution permits are a legal right to pollute a certain amount per fixed time span.

8. 9.

Directs the European Commission to work with Member States to develop and implement certain medical guidelines that will: a. request doctors to justify the reasoning behind every prescription of antibiotics given, b. penalise doctors who violate these guidelines, by either paying a fine or by

having their license removed after repeated violations; Encourages Ministries of Health to implement a separate care unit in every hospital, specifically designed for treating serious cases of AMR;

10. Hopes that the newly created care units ensures that the contact of infected patients with the public is restricted;

11. Urges Member States to train the hospital staff assigned to the newly established care units specifically on tackling AMR-related cases.