This chapter focuses on the European Union (EU) initiatives for combatting antimicrobial resistance. Over the past twenty years, the EU has been an active international player with regard to AMR. In the last ten years, it has intensified efforts to manage the problems caused by AMR. The EU has produced a number of action plans aimed at reducing the overall use (and abuse) of antimicrobials in both the human medical and livestock sectors. The agricultural sector accounts for about two-thirds of the EU’s total antimicrobial consumption, the remaining one-third within the human medical sector. However, there are major differences in the amount of antimicrobial consumption (and levels of AMR) among the EU Member States. The EU is the leading world region in terms of transnational cooperation. EU initiatives to manage consumption of antimicrobials and combat AMR are primarily embedded in the health policy area. However, EU health policy initiatives are limited by the fact that health policy is considered a policy area with national competence and only little transnational competence. This chapter identifies both the potentials and obstacles for EU becoming an important international political actor in combatting AMR.

European Union, EU action plans on AMR, transnational governance, antimicrobial consumption in EU, research in new antimicrobials