Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing problem throughout the world. Insight into current national AMR problems is a prerequisite for an effective and targeted approach to AMR. However, not all European countries have a national surveillance network for AMR as yet. This was the reason for setting up the CAESAR network.

AMR surveillance network

The aim of the CAESAR network is to strengthen national surveillance of AMR outside the EU (European Union) region providing technical support in the field of laboratory methods, surveillance methodology and ICT. The ultimate objective is to set up a network of national surveillance systems so that the trends in AMR can be compared across all European countries. The methods used in CAESAR have been developed in close collaboration with EARS-Net at ECDC, the European Union’s surveillance network for antimicrobial resistance, which means that it will be possible to compare data from the two surveillance networks.

Joint initiative

The CAESAR network is a collaboration between RIVM, ESCMID (European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease) and World Health Organization Europe (WHO Europe).

RIVM role

RIVM provides technical advice on surveillance methodology and technical support (including data management, data quality control and data analysis and interpretation) within the CAESAR network. RIVM has longstanding experience with the European surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and was the initiator of EARSS, the forerunner of EARS-Net. 

WHO AMR Dashboard

Since November 2025, all AMR surveillance data for the WHO European Region, as well as other important materials and information, are available on the WHO AMR dashboard.

This interactive tool, developed by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and now hosted by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), has been significantly upgraded. In addition to AMR surveillance results from Central Asian and European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (CAESAR) and the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net), the dashboard now includes:

• Detailed information on CAESAR surveillance methodology
• Relevant materials and resources
• Recent publications