The current regulation 2018/848 has:
1.5.2.1. Where animals become sick or injured despite preventive measures to ensure animal health, they shall be treated immediately.
1.5.2.2. Disease shall be treated immediately to avoid suffering of the animal. Chemically synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products, including antibiotics, may be used where necessary, under strict conditions and under the responsibility of a veterinarian, when the use of phytotherapeutic, homeopathic and other products is inappropriate. In particular, restrictions with respect to courses of treatment and withdrawal periods shall be defined.
1.5.2.3. Feed materials of mineral origin authorised pursuant to Article 24 for use in organic production, nutritional additives authorised pursuant to Article 24 for use in organic production, and phytotherapeutic and homeopathic products shall be used in preference to treatment with chemically synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products, including antibiotics, provided that their therapeutic effect is effective for the species of animal and for the condition for which the treatment is intended.
This regulation describes when meat can be described as "organic". The term "organic" originally referred to produce that was farmed using fertilisers derived from animal or plant sources (such as manure) instead of mineral sources (for example mined phosphate). The intent is to create better food by using less intensive farming methods.
This term is regulated, as consumers are prepared to pay more for "organic" produce. The regulation is required to prevent unscrupulous producers profiting by selling non-organic food under the "organic" label.
For meat production, the regulation requires that antibiotics are not used on healthy animals for promoting weight gain. It further recommends that phytotherapeutic [herbal] or homoeopathic [not containing active ingredients] are preferred over drugs derived from fungal, bacterial or mineral sources. This is in line with the notion that organic food should be produced using less intensive farming methods and without the use of synthetics.
This is controversial as there are good animal welfare reasons for using the best medication available.
There is a homoeopathic lobby in the EU, and they would no doubt oppose removing the references to homoeopathy from the directive.
No longer in force, Date of end of validity: 31/12/2008
. If this is the regulation you mean, you might want to change your question to ask about the past instead of the present.homeopathic
is rather arguable, as it can be interchange withsupplement
sometime. The original intention is actually to reduce abuse of antibiotic on livestock.