Remarks via Video message by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides for the AMR High Level Conference held by the Belgian Presidency

AMR High Level Conference

Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Antimicrobial resistance is the silent pandemic' of our lifetime.

It is not just a health crisis but is an economic one too.

In the EU alone, AMR is responsible for over 35,000 annual deaths and for an enormous cost of 11.7 billion euros in health expenditure and reduced workforce productivity.

Tackling AMR requires urgent and collective action.

So I want to thank the Belgian Presidency for organising today's important event.

We need to continue taking concrete, coordinated steps forward. The Council Recommendation on AMR, adopted last June, reflects the strong commitment of the EU and its Member States.

This includes the jointly agreed recommended targets on antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial consumption.

These targets enable us to monitor our progress over time – and they ensure that our goals are transformed into concrete action.

To ensure their efficient implementation, we recently launched a new joint action with Member States on AMR and healthcare associated infections which is backed by 50 million euros in EU funding.

We are committed to stimulating the research and development of new antibiotics while at the same time ensuring sustainable access to existing treatments for all patients.

This is why we are exploring financial incentives through a unified strategy at EU level.

Our pharmaceuticals reform proposed a transferable exclusivity voucher to promote the development of novel antimicrobials as a matter of urgency.

We are also preparing a 17 million euros EU revenue guarantee mechanism, on newly developed antibiotics in the EU, and to improve profitability for the producers of these much-needed innovations.

Various options and combinations of push and pull incentives need to be explored to effectively address different regional, national or global contexts.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have important work ahead of us, both in the EU and globally.

The fight against AMR is a global priority as it cannot be tackled by individual countries alone.

The United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting on AMR in September, is a unique opportunity to push for concrete global commitments.

I count on all EU Member States to actively engage in this process and support an ambitious and result-oriented declaration.

I wish you a successful conference.