Use of antimicrobials in farmed animals

Use of antimicrobials in farmed animals in the food supply chain – webinar 28 May 2026

Update

Significant new rules on the use of antimicrobial products will apply to all animals and animal products exported to the European Union (EU) from 3 September 2026 (Regulation 2023/905). The new rules will cover honey, aquaculture products (fish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, gastropods), milk/dairy, eggs, casings, and meat (cattle, sheep and goats, pigs, horses, poultry, rabbits, and farmed game).

This webinar aimed to guide both public authorities and stakeholders along the animal value chain on the steps they must take to ensure they are adequately prepared for the new requirements and avoid trade disruptions.

Impacted Products

Honey, aquaculture products (fish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, gastropods), milk/dairy, eggs, casings, meat (cattle, sheep and goats, pigs, horses, poultry, rabbits, farmed game)

What is changing?

For all farm animals raised for food destined for the EU market, Regulation 2023/905 bans the use of:

• medicinal products containing an antimicrobial that is included in the List of antimicrobials reserved for treatments of certain infections in humans, and
• antimicrobial medicinal products used to promote growth or increase yield, whether or not they appear on the above-mentioned list of antimicrobials reserved for treatments of certain infections in humans.

To export such products to the EU from 3 September 2026, countries must:

• be included in the official list of authorised exporting countries confirming they are compliant with the new antimicrobial rules (the list is expected to be reviewed before 3 September 2026), and
• ensure that the official veterinary authorities sign the attestation, part of the updated official certificates, indicating that the farmed animals and food comply with the new requirements.

To sign the certificates, the authorities must be in a position to guarantee that the food-producing animal has never received any antimicrobials for the purpose of growth promotion or yield increase, or any antimicrobials reserved for the treatment of certain infections in humans.

Why?

This Regulation has been adopted in the framework of the EU’s actions to fight against antimicrobial resistance, in line with international recommendations.

Timeline

The new EU rules on the use of antimicrobials will apply from 3 September 2026.