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The EU is drawing up a new veterinary medicinal products regulation which will affect livestock farmers.
The new regulations will decide what veterinary medicines are licensed in Ireland, who can sell them and – indirectly – at what prices.
Discussion on changing the regulations has been ongoing for several years.
Negotiations on the regulations will directly involve Irish MEPs and officials from the Department of Agriculture this week.
The progress of the talks is being scrutinised from the sidelines by interest groups including veterinary and farm bodies.
IFA animal health chair Pat Farrell has warned that farmers’ role in protecting the health and welfare of their animals must not be hindered by more costs and bureaucracy.
“To reduce antibiotic use, the new regulation must ensure other treatments and preventative medicines are available cost-efficiently,” he said.
“One EU veterinary medicine licence should cover all member states. The current individual member state licensing system adds unnecessary costs.”
He also said that farmers must be allowed buy medicines from other member states and that the current validity period for prescriptions must be maintained to allow farmers buy medicines from the most competitive supplier.
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