The collection of data on the sales and use of antimicrobials in animals has always been critical in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. As of January 2024, all Member States in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) must submit these data annually to the Antimicrobial Sales and Use (ASU) Platform.
This new obligation was introduced by the Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/6) as one of the measures to fight antimicrobial resistance. The European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC) project was in place between 2009 and 2023 as a voluntary initiative by European Medicines Agency (EMA) and European countries to monitor the sales of veterinary antimicrobials in Europe.
It served as a blueprint for the ASU Platform that supports and enhances the EU’s actions to address antimicrobial resistance. It requires that all Member States submit data on sales of veterinary antimicrobials and use of antimicrobials in animals in a standardised format, enhancing the collection of data and their integration in a robust system.
EMA will publish annual reports showcasing the main results of the analysed data, with the first report expected in March 2025, after the first reporting cycle is concluded
