How important is the StAR strategy for you and for the Office? How do you relate to it?
Antibiotic resistance is a threat to people and animals and therefore a problem that we really need to get to grips with. The environment is a reservoir for antibiotic resistance, both in its naturally occurring and human-induced forms. Wastewater treatment already eliminates 99% of antibiotic-resistant germs. The new fourth stage of purification for eliminating trace substances will remove almost all antibiotics from wastewater. As a result, even fewer antibiotics will enter our waters, reducing the risk of the development of antibiotic resistance.
Not enough attention has been paid to the issue of soil to date – we need to know more about soil pollution and antibiotic resistance, particularly in connection with pig or veal farming. We need to do much better in this area over the next few years.

Interview with Katrin Schneeberger, Director of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)

Strategy on Antibiotic Resistance FOEN