IP/07/1828
Brussels, 30 November 2007
Commission adopts Decision to approve €187
million to fight animal diseases in 2008
The European Commission has approved a financial package of €186.57
million to support programmes to eradicate, control and monitor animal
diseases in 2008. For the first time, for some diseases like rabies, multiannual programmes lasting from two to five years have also been approved,
in order to ensure a more efficient and effective achievement of the
objectives of those programmes. The 197 annual or multi-annual
programmes which were selected for EU funding will tackle animal diseases
that impact both human and animal health. The large EU contribution
towards these programmes reflects the high level of importance attached to
disease eradication measures, for the protection of both animal and public
health.
Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said:
"Safeguarding animal health is an essential factor in ensuring food safety, and in
avoiding the often devastating consequences that animal epidemics can have. The
decision to allocate considerable resources to the fight against animal diseases
shows the Commission’s unwavering commitment to this goal.”
Each year the Commission approves programmes for the eradication and monitoring
of animal diseases, for the control of zoonoses such as salmonella, for the
monitoring and eradication of TSEs and for avian influenza surveillance. These
approved programmes receive financial contributions from the EU.
Animal disease eradication programmes
For the year 2008, 61 annual or multi-annual programmes to eradicate 10 important
animal diseases have been granted Community financial support. The total EU
contribution to these programmes is €70.075.000. The increased budget for 2008
from €52.97.000 in 2007 is mainly due to an increased allocation to counter
Bluetongue disease in many Member states.
Within this budget, diseases that might be transmitted to humans are prioritised.
Significant sums are being spent on the eradication of brucellosis, tuberculosis and
rabies. Following the success of the programmes in recent years which have virtually
eradicated rabies in the western part of the EU, most of the activity in 2008 will be
focused towards the eastern Member States. €13.847.000 has been allocated to this
task. Rabies is spread by infected wildlife and the programmes aim at producing
immunity in the wildlife by orally vaccinating them with baits containing vaccine.
Zoonoses control programmes
A financial contribution of €8.606.000 to control zoonotic salmonella in poultry
(Gallus gallus) breeder flocks in 19 Member States as well as €21.330.000 in poultry
laying hens flocks (first year) have been allocated for 2008. This is three times the
amount allocated for this disease in 2007, reflecting the priority which the EU gives to
reducing the prevalence of salmonella in poultry
Avian influenza surveillance
Member States will also continue to carry out surveillance for avian influenza in
poultry and wild birds in 2008 with financial assistance from the EU towards
laboratory testing and wild birds sampling costs. A total of €4.344.000 will be
available from the EU budget.
This surveillance is the most effective way to detect early outbreaks of both high and
low pathogenic influenzas and was extremely useful in 2006 and 2007, allowing
early detection of avian influenza in wild birds before commercial flocks became
infected.
BSE/TSE monitoring and eradication programmes
The overall trend is positive and is improving year by year due to a good
implementation of the monitoring and eradication programmes in most Member
States.
For the monitoring of TSEs, the Commission has agreed to make €62.494.500
available from the EU budget, down from € 88.463.000 in 2007. It includes financial
support from the Community that will be used to carry out rapid tests for the
detection of TSE in cattle, sheep, goats and deer and discriminatory tests to exclude
BSE in small ruminants as in 2007. For BSE eradication programmes across
Europe, the EU will give €2.543.000 in co-funding in 2008, down from €5.400.000 in
2007, reflecting the continuing decline in BSE cases.
Compulsory Scrapie eradication measures are in place, requiring the culling and/or
genotyping of animals in infected flocks. Breeding programmes continue to be
applied for TSE resistance in sheep. This year, €18.184.200 is being dedicated to
the approved scrapie eradication programmes, down from €33.592.000 in 2007,
reflecting the uptake of funds in 2006.
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