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Twenty-nine European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries reported cases of pathogens with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) for 2021, based on data for invasive bacterial isolates (i.e. retrieved from blood or cerebrospinal fluid).

In 2016–2017, 1 559 hospital surveillance periods were reported, corresponding to >18.3 million patient admissions and >109 million patient-days.

The surveillance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) is essential for detecting emerging and increasing antimicrobial resistance. Since 2009, this surveillance has been co-ordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The quality-assured data produced can be used to inform treatment guidelines.

This report describes and summarises the national results of the external quality assessment (EQA) of laboratory performance for those laboratories participating in the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) in 2021.

The results presented in this report are based on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data from invasive isolates reported to the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) by 29 European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries in 2021 (data referring to 2020), and on trend analyses of data reported by the continuously participating countries for the period 2016 to 2020. 

Data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in zoonotic and indicator bacteria from humans, animals and food are collected annually by the EU Member States (MSs), jointly analysed by the EFSA and the ECDC and reported in a yearly EU Summary Report.

Joint report by ECDC, EFSA, EMA, and OECD on antimicrobial resistance in the EU/EEA and a One Health response. Antimicrobial resistance remains a serious challenge for everyone, a silent pandemic that calls for a One Health response in the EU/EEA.

Italy has reported an outbreak of Candida auris in the region of Liguria with at least 277 cases. The first C. auris case in Liguria was detected in one hospital in July 2019 and cases continued to occur sporadically in the same hospital.

The results presented in this report are based on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data from invasive isolates reported to the Central Asian and European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (CAESAR) network and the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) in 2021 (data referring to 2020).

External quality assessment (EQA) is an essential part of any laboratory-based surveillance system, allowing for the monitoring of performance and comparability of results from participating laboratories, identification of potential issues and deployment of resources and training where necessary.