• Describe a standard for veterinary practice guideline on antimicrobial use and set a priority list of infectious diseases where guidance documents are highly needed
• The standard will be used for writing European animal- and disease-specific treatment guidelines for selected infections
• Help European countries advance towards a common high level of veterinary antimicrobial stewardship by supporting national guideline makers in adaptation of guidelines at local levels.

The first objective of WG4 is to make a standard for development of veterinary antimicrobial treatment guidelines. This standard will highlight prerequisites for making guidelines, e.g. which evidence base is needed for treatment recommendations. Action Participants representing veterinary microbiology, clinical practice, and clinical pharmacology will use their expertise and inspiration from current human standards for this task. 

The second objective is to use this new standard for making European animal- and disease-specific treatment guidelines for selected infections that are considered treatment challenges by veterinary practitioners, and which account for a relatively high fraction of antimicrobial consumption in companion animals (e.g. canine GI infections) and/or food animals (e.g. porcine enteritis). 

Finally, as the third objective, WG4 will assist countries represented in the Action with adaptation and implementation of the European guidelines into national guidelines by taking into account local factors such as prevalence of infections/pathogens, prevalence of resistance, and availability of drugs.

The ENOVAT Cost Action guidelines initiative is calling for people interested in joining the drafting group for Veterinary Practice Guidelines on Antimicrobial use in poultry colibacillosis.