EARS-Net is a European wide network of national surveillance systems, providing European reference data on antimicrobial resistance for public health purposes. The network is coordinated and funded by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
The coordination of EARS-Net, the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (former EARSS), was transferred from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in January 2010.
The surveillance of antimicrobial resistance within the EU is carried out in agreement with Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998 and Regulation (EC) no 851/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 establishing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.