Brussels, 05/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - The Polish agriculture minister will make clear his discontent at the Agriculture Council meeting in Brussels on 15 February with the recent measures to tackle African swine fever.
The European Commission, in the hope of removal of the embargo imposed on certain pork products (offal and fats in particular), decided to toughen African swine fever measures, extending restrictions on animal movement beyond the areas where cases of the epizootic have been detected. A large majority of member states' experts on the standing committee on animal health voted for the measures on 12 January. For Poland, however, which is having to suffer the consequences, this decision is not acceptable as the situation on the ground has not worsened, it says. In a memo to the Council, Poland says it has implemented all the EU measures against the spread of African swine fever from Ukraine and calls for greater support from the EU.
The risk of the transmission of African swine fever from Ukraine to Poland, and, thus, to the other member states, is increasing rapidly, given the spread of the disease. The Commission has asked the Ukrainian authorities to submit a control plan which the EU could finance. For the moment, however, Ukraine has provided no such plan. Poland has, therefore, asked the Commission to inform the member states of developments on this issue and says it stands ready to put in place measures to protect Europe against the spread of swine fever.
The Community-level measures against the disease have not persuaded Russia to change its position, in any case. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)