Brussels, 06/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 5 June, the sanitary experts of the member states approved the Commission's proposal to apply temporary import requirements on live pigs from the United States and Canada. Live pigs from North America will be tested for the presence of porcine epidemic diarrhoea, with the aim of protecting a booming European industry from this infection, with 22 million tonnes of pork meat produced every year and 13% of which is exported, the European Executive stresses in a press release.
The porcine academic diarrhoea virus, which is sweeping North America, has caused considerable losses to the American pork industry in particular. The United States and Canada are authorised to export live pigs to the EU: 900 high genetic value units were imported in 2013.
The measures approved by the experts of the member states follow on from discussions last week at the World Assembly of the World Organisation for Animal Health and add to the temporary import requirements agreed last month on peak blood derivative products, which can be used to feed piglets, the statement explains.
The Commission also called on the European Food Safety Authority to give its scientific opinion on the new porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus to feed into a more in-depth examination of the situation with the disease and measures to attenuate risks. (EH)