Cat, the NFU’s chief animal health and welfare adviser, takes over the role at EPRUMA, a multi-stakeholder platform linking best practice with animal health and public health through the NFU’s membership of COPA-Cogeca.
Unanimous appointment
The appointment was supported unanimously by the members of Copa Cogeca and is a significant step on the road to the UK re-establishing its position in Europe post-BREXIT.
Established in 2005, EPRUMA works to promote the responsible use of medicines in animals across Europe.
An honour to be elected
Cat said: “It’s an honour to be elected to this important position at this critical time. Animal keepers across Europe have made great strides in preserving the efficacy of veterinary medicines and with animal health and welfare, food security and public health in the forefront of political developments,
“I look forward to continuing the work of EPRUMA in co-ordinating an integrated approach to responsible use of veterinary medicines over the next few years.”
Cat McLaughlin has been with the NFU since 2006. During this time, she has been heavily involved with the UK’s Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance and instrumental in helping UK farmers achieve a 52% reduction in antibiotic use since 2014.
Cat currently Chairs RUMA and is a Board Director for AMTRA, the leading Regulatory Body for those prescribing veterinary medicines under the UK’s POM-VPS medicine category.
Multi stakeholder platform
EPRUMA facilitates and promotes a co-ordinated and integrated approach to the Responsible Use of Medicines in Animals.
It is a multi-stakeholder platform working at European level since 2005, to develop and promote best-practice frameworks for the responsible use of veterinary medicines to ensure a better prevention and control of animal diseases. These principles can be tailored nationally to reflect specificities in EU Member States.
EPRUMA represents the activities in this domain taken by:
- veterinarians
- farmers and agri-cooperatives
- manufacturers of animal medicines and diagnostics
- feed manufacturers
- professionals working in animal health, sanitary security and sustainable agriculture
