It is European Antibiotic Awareness Day today, to raise awareness of the fact that “antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats to public health in Europe and globally”, as Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, stated in a release, because “infections no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines, often due to the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants”. Repercussions are aplenty: infections are more difficult to treat, hospitalisations are longer, over 35,000 people die in Europe every year, and the estimated loss is 11.7 billion euros. The source of microbial resistance is the misuse of antibiotics, to such an extent that the EU Commission is investing 50 million euros to support the member states in strengthening infection prevention and control, promoting a prudent use of antibiotics, and improving surveillance. Another 75 million euros have been invested instead in the new research partnership One Health on antimicrobial resistance, while innovation in the review of pharmaceutical legislation is being worked at, because “safeguarding the effectiveness of antibiotics is not merely a technical challenge — it is a shared responsibility and an urgent political priority”, Várhelyi pointed out.