Assessment of the Antibiotic Resistance Effects of Biocides

This is a report of an expert group convened by the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks. The report gives a detailed review of the scientific evidence in order to address the following questions:

1. Does current scientific evidence indicate that the use of certain active substances in biocidal products in various settings as mentioned above can contribute to the occurrence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, both in humans and in the environment? If so, how does this effect compare to resistance due to application of medicinal products or veterinary medicinal products and other relevant applications?
2. If yes, which types of active substances, modes of action or areas of application create the highest risks for increasing antibiotic resistance?
3. If yes, what are the extent of the resulting antibiotic resistance and the relative contribution of the different applications to the risk of increasing antibiotic resistance?
4. How can the development of antibiotic resistance due to the use of active substances in biocidal products be examined? Could the Committee advise on the methodologies?
5. What are the relevant gaps in scientific knowledge and major research needs.