As political leaders gather for the EU-UK Summit in London on Monday, May 19, NOAH has joined with AnimalhealthEurope to call on policymakers to prioritise a veterinary medicines agreement between the UK and EU to ensure the continued protection of animal health and welfare on both sides of the Channel.
Veterinary medicines are essential not only for treating disease in pets and livestock but also for protecting public health, ensuring food security, and supporting sustainable agriculture. Yet since the UK’s exit from the EU, the absence of formal regulatory cooperation on veterinary medicines has created growing challenges that threaten product availability and innovation.
NOAH and its European counterpart are urging leaders to agree a dedicated veterinary medicines arrangement – either as a standalone deal or as a specific chapter within a broader Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement.
This would ensure continued alignment in areas such as product authorisation, labelling, distribution, and post-market surveillance.
Dawn Howard, NOAH chief executive, said: “Veterinary medicines must not be sidelined as a technical detail – they are critical to the health of our animals, the safety of our food, and the growth of our economy. A UK-EU veterinary medicines agreement is both achievable and urgently needed.
“With AnimalhealthEurope, we are advocating for a pragmatic and cooperative approach that benefits animal owners, veterinary professionals, and farmers across Europe.
“This moment is a great opportunity. The UK and the EU have the chance to show leadership in animal health and welfare, economic co-operation, and One Health. NOAH, together with AnimalhealthEurope, is ready to work with regulators and policymakers to secure this outcome.”
Roxane Feller, secretary general of AnimalhealthEurope, added: “Unlike politics, disease knows no borders. Guaranteed access to veterinary medicines is fundamental to safeguarding animal health and welfare, ensuring food security, and protecting public health under the One Health framework.
“AnimalhealthEurope, together with NOAH, has been calling for cooperation in the field of veterinary medicines since the publication of the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the EU in 2018. We sincerely hope that leaders will now make the right decision and establish a veterinary medicines agreement between the EU and UK.”
