Antibiotic apocalypse: EU scraps plans to tackle drug pollution, despite fears of rising resistance

Leaked documents reveal discarded proposals to ward off antibiotic resistance through closer scrutiny of drug firms

The EU has scrapped plans for a clampdown on pharmaceutical pollution that contributes to the spread of deadly superbugs.

Plans to monitor farm and pharmaceutical companies, to add environmental standards to EU medical product rules and to oblige environmental risk assessments for drugs used by humans have all been discarded, leaked documents seen by the Guardian reveal.