EFPIA acknowledges the Council Recommendation on stepping up EU actions to combat antimicrobial resistance in a One Health approach, adopted by EU Health Ministers on 13 June. The Recommendation helps advance the policy debate on effective measures to tackle AMR, including through important global commitments and the equitable sharing of the financial burden associated with incentives for antimicrobials among G7 and G20 countries.

While the Recommendation rightly emphasises the importance of incentives for the development and access to novel antimicrobials, we have concerns regarding the effectiveness and feasibility of a "Union multi-country pull incentive" with voluntary participation and an unclear financing mechanism. It is crucial that any policy measure designed to incentivise antimicrobial development and access provides sufficient predictability and, most importantly, the financial commitment at the scale required to make a meaningful impact on R&D decisions. For these reasons, while we welcome commitments in principle from Member States, we believe it is essential to uphold and reinforce the pull incentive proposed by the European Commission, namely the transferable exclusivity voucher (TEV), in the revision of the EU general pharmaceutical legislation.

Taking into account the European Parliament resolution on EU action to combat antimicrobial resistance, adopted on 1 June, EFPIA firmly supports the critical requirement for an EU-wide incentive enshrined in EU legislation, ensuring both an adequate reward size and predictability.

EFPIA remains fully committed to working with stakeholders in finding sustainable solutions that promote responsible antimicrobial use and ensure the development of and access to much-needed antimicrobial treatments for patients.