European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli said: "We need to take swift and determined action if we do not want to lose antimicrobial medicines as essential treatment against bacterial infections in both humans and animals.

"The 12 concrete actions for the next five years could help limit the spread of anti-microbial resistance and help develop new anti-microbial treatment. Their success requires joined efforts from the EU, the Member States, healthcare professionals, industry, farmers and many others."

The Action Plan specifically states that more action should be taken to ensure that antimicrobials are used appropriately in animals.

It also want to improve the monitoring and surveillance of antimicrobial use.

The EC says that is plans to strengthen EU law on veterinary medicines and medicated feeds, as well as introduce recommendations for prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine.

Another goal of the plan is to introduce legal tools to tighten prevention and control of infections in animals in the new EU Animal Health Law.

As well as the above, the EC will promote efforts to analyse the need for new antibiotics in veterinary medicine.

The EC says that the action plan has been put into place to prevent resistant bacteria from being transferred from animals to humans via the food chain or through direct contact.