Use of antibiotics in organic animal husbandry: certain aspects of legal regulation

This article is devoted to the analysis of domestic and international legal bases of use of antibiotics in organic animal husbandry, and also formulation on its basis of the conclusions and offers directed on improvement of the current agrarian legislation in the specified sphere. It is determined that the reform of Ukrainian legislation on veterinary medicine and feed takes in to account the main international requirements for regulating the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, in particular Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and Council of 11.12.2018 «On veterinary medicinal products and repealing of the Directive 2001/82/EU». For the effective implementation of legislative requirements in practice, the need to continue working in the following areas is justified: development of by laws in the field of antimicrobial drugs in animal husbandry; collection, accumulation and analysis of information on the amounts and types of antibiotics used by agricultural producers; development of advanced livestock technologies without the use of antimicrobials, taking in to account the positive experience of other countries; dissemination of knowledge about such technologies among agricultural entities. As a result of the study of the current legislation in the field of organic agricultural production, it was concluded that the legal regulation of the use of antibiotics in organic animal husbandry meets international requirements, namely such basic documents as Commission Regulation (EU) of 05.09.2008 № 889/2008 «Detailed rules on organic production, labeling and control for the implementation of Council Regulation (EU) № 834/2007 on organic production and labeling of organic products» and Council Regulation (EU) № 834/2007 «On organic production and labeling of organic products, and repealing the Regulation (EEC) № 2092/91». To improve the mechanism of control and trace ability of antibiotics in the treatment of farm animals in organic animal husbandry, it is proposed: to accelerate the work on the adoption of the Procedure for the use of antimicrobial drugs in veterinary medicine; to supplement the Procedure (detailed rules) of organic production and circulation of organic products with provisions on the requirements for documentary confirmation of the use of antimicrobial drugs by operators, storage periods of relevant documents. Keywords: antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, safety of organic products, organic livestock products, organic agricultural production, organic animal husbandry, legal regulation, quality of organic products