The best laid plans?: international governance perspectives in AMR national action plans in Europe

BACKGROUND: There is a broad consensus in the European public health community that international collaboration and coordination are key in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Yet, while experts typically testify the importance of cross-national learning and a coordinated effort to reduce the spread of multi-resistant bacteria, there are mixed views about how that is best realized in practice, particularly on the dichotomy between horizontal and vertical activities. METHODS: National action plans (NAP) from all EU member states were systematically overviewed by two independent researchers. We followed a fixed procedure for locating a broad and comparable content on the international dimensions, and letting these vary on scales. RESULTS: We find that countries adhere to four different strategies for international coordination, varying between ‘high’ and ‘low’ on values of vertical and horizontal activities. Most countries spend none or very little space to discuss international activities, while some countries use their NAPs to outline their aspiration for taking leading roles in the international struggle. Moreover, in line with previous research, we find that many countries directly mimic the Global Action Plan, but also that a large share of countries describe independent arrangements in their international strategies. CONCLUSIONS: European countries recognize AMR and its inherent international governance challenge differently in their NAPs, which may have implications for coordinated action to address the issue.