Amendments to the Veterinary Medicines Act and the Pharmacy Act

The Bundestag has approved a federal government bill to amend the Veterinary Medicines Act and the Pharmacy Act in an amended version. The core of the law is to implement EU requirements for recording antibiotic consumption in animals in Germany with as little additional bureaucracy as possible. The first year of recording antibiotic quantities in dogs and cats, which was previously brought forward to 2026, will be postponed to the year 2029 planned by the EU. In addition, the previously half-yearly reporting obligations of animal owners and veterinarians will be changed to an annual cycle as part of the German antibiotic minimization concept. At the same time, data collection will be expanded to include previously unrecorded food-producing animal species as well as dogs, cats, foxes and minks kept for fur. The new regulations are intended to create a better data base on the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry. This allows developments and possible risk factors in the use of antibiotics to be identified more precisely. According to the federal government, this contributes to the more prudent use of antibiotics and thus to the fight against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. At the same time, the switch to annual reporting means relief for veterinarians and animal owners. The Committee for Agriculture, Food and Community made a recommendation for a resolution on the draft law, which recommended the adoption of the law in an amended version. Based on the recommendation, the federal government's draft law was approved with 238 votes in favor, 120 against, and 28 abstentions.