Press releases

Brussels, 28 March 2001

Foot-and-mouth disease: Results of the Standing Veterinary Committee

The Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC) yesterday had a discussion on the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) situation in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France. European Commission proposals on prolongation of the protective measures for these four Member States have received a favourable opinion.

United Kingdom

The Committee has prolonged the existing restrictions, however it has agreed to put in place a regionalised approach for Northern Ireland. This means that the dispatch of non-treated products will only be prohibited from the area where the one and only outbreak in Northern Ireland took place. The protective measures still in place will be: The prohibition to export live susceptible animals from anywhere in the United Kingdom and the prohibition to dispatch to other parts of the country, to the other Member States and to third countries fresh meat and meat products, milk and milk products and other animal products from those species from Great Britain and the district Newry and Mourne in County Armagh in Northern Ireland, unless these products are treated appropriately.

Ireland

For Ireland, the protective measures already adopted have been prolonged: The prohibition to export live susceptible animals from anywhere in Ireland and the prohibition to dispatch to other parts of the country, to the other Member States and to third countries fresh meat and meat products, milk and milk products and other animal products from those species from the County of Louth unless these products are treated appropriately.

These two proposals are now scheduled to be formally adopted by the Commission on 3 April, the day before the existing measures expire. The SVC continues its meeting this afternoon and possibly tomorrow with a discussion on the FMD situation in France and the Netherlands and with other foot-and-mouth related issues.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the existing protective measures have been prolonged until 6 April. These measures are the prohibition to export live susceptible animals from anywhere in the Netherlands and the prohibition to dispatch to other parts of the country, to the other Member States and to third countries fresh meat and meat products, milk and milk products and other animal products from those species from the provinces of Gelderland, Overijjsel, Flevoland and Noord-Brabant, unless these products are treated appropriately.

France

In France, different measures have been adopted. A general prohibition on the dispatch of live susceptible animals, fresh meat and meat products, milk and milk products and other animal products from those animals from mainland France has been proposed. This measure is applicable until 12 April but, if no further outbreaks are reported until 2 April and if all test results are negative, from 3 April onwards the prohibition on the dispatch of fresh meat and meat products, milk and milk products and other animal products from susceptible animals only applies for the departments of Seine-et-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val d'Oise, the area of the second outbreak.

Today the discussion on zoo animals and the request from the United Kingdom to discuss vaccination are on the agenda of the meeting.

Released on 28/03/2001

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