Brussels, 06/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 6 June, the source of contamination of the food chain by the deadly bacteria, EHEC, had still not been officially determined. Given the rash announcements made earlier and concerned by the implications of this epidemic, albeit seemingly on the wane, the EU decided, on Monday, to seize the bull by the horns and seek to counter the devastating effect of the crisis as quickly as possible. The outbreak of E.coli has had an effect on health, agriculture and the economy, given EU and third country consumers' distrust with regard to European vegetables. Following a weekend during which the German authorities' initial suspicions deserted Spanish cucumbers (see EUROPE 10391) to settle, although still without certainty, on soya bean shoots produced in a farm in Germany, the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council considered it appropriate to add this point to the agenda of Monday's Health Council, in Luxembourg. Greater coordination of enhanced investigation, solidarity with the victims of the epidemic, caution when it comes to announcements made, and solidarity with European farmers were the watchwords of EU27 health ministers meeting in informal discussion session. On Tuesday 7 June, it will be the turn of the agriculture ministers to take over during an extraordinary session (see following article).
“We expressed our condolences to the families of the victims and expressed our solidarity with the countries affected. This is a complex problem. Questions of food safety, of public health, epidemiology, and the related market challenges will be dealt with on the same front. The source of contamination has still to be identified and we shall take the necessary measures. We must be thorough and remain objective. The health ministers will do their best to contain the epidemic. We must all give our support to Germany and the other countries concerned. We shall draw conclusions once the situation has been brought under control”, Hungarian National Resources Minister Miklós Réthelyi, who chaired the session, told the press. He said the RASFF early warning system did work but that, what was needed, was reflection on ways to improve coordination. He said the two Council formations - health and agriculture - should ensure answers are found by working hand in hand to assess the situation and draw lessons from it.
John Dalli, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, pointed out that the epicentre of the epidemic was still in Hamburg, but affects several member states - hence, the need for concerted action. It is precisely for that reason that he is in permanent contact with the health authorities in Germany, where 1,600 cases have been notified, with 700 serious incidents of complication. On Saturday, the German authorities agreed to send an EU team of specialists on the epidemiology of food-borne illnesses to their territory. Experts would be from the Commission (DG SANCO), the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC), and from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). These experts, who have arrived in Berlin, are in contact with the German authorities to help the latter continue the epidemiological investigation, verify results and speed up identification of the source of contamination. The German secretary of state has given his colleagues details of the epidemiological study underway on the bean shoots. Some of the results are negative, the commissioner told the press, saying that other results were expected and that it was necessary to be cautious. Member states aspire to greater coordination, the commissioner said, adding that he had noted Spain's concerns.
Dalli asserted that, even if there is nothing precise to go on at present, the risk of a large-scale epidemic now seems to be over as the number of persons affected by the bacteria is now stabilising, if not falling. Also, he considers that the early warning system is a good basis on which to exchange information. They now have a common position, he said, for following the same approach for the inquiry. Answering the question put by a journalist who wished to know whether he was serious about activating the early warning system on the basis of suspicion alone, Dalli said that it was better to have scientific proof as a basis and that, in future, one must ensure the early warning is in good time. In his view, it is not always easy to choose between acting as soon as possible, at the risk of spreading mistaken information, or waiting to have reliable information before taking action, at the risk of seeing the epidemic spread still further. He pointed out the elementary precautions that consumers should take - such as washing their hands and rinsing fruit and vegetables when preparing meals and before eating. During the debate, eight member states took the floor. Spain spoke of the immense damage done to the agricultural sector concerned by the trade restrictions imposed by certain countries and called for EU compensation and reform of the early warning system. France and Italy spoke of concrete proposals for assessing, for example, whether the spread of the epidemic emanated from products from southern member states and whether, technically, laboratories are working as they should. Italy also called for EU participation while France suggested strengthening alarm systems and expertise at local level. Finally, most ministers agreed there was a need for rapid and correct communication among all EU27. Luxembourg felt public health must always take precedence over problems of an economic kind as the latter can always be compensated at a later date. He said any behaviour that endangers human lives should not be adopted. The Commission continues to consider as disproportionate any restrictive measure such as the embargo decreed by Russia on imports of EU fruit and vegetables. It hopes to be able to convince the Russian authorities to find a solution before the EU-Russia summit scheduled to take place on 9 June in Nizhny Novgorod. (A.N./I.L./transl.jl)