Brussels, 209/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - In a written question sent to European Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis on Friday 20 May, nine MEPs, including Eric Andrieu (S&D, France), Michel Dantin (EPP, France), Marc Tarabella (S&D, Belgium), Nicola Caputo (S&D, Italy) and Clara Eugenia Aguilera Garcia (S&D, Spain), call on the European Commission to encourage vaccination against salmonellosis in pig and poultry farms.
The signatories of the written question point out that the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU has made tackling resistance to antibiotics one of its priorities. They argue that vaccination is one of the ways to prevent a considerable number of illnesses such as colibacillosis and salmonellosis and a large number of respiratory illnesses.
Vaccination of animals against salmonellosis can reduce antibiotic use and help prevent this zoonosis, the MEPs state in their written question. The European aid plan for vaccination against salmonellosis in poultry is applied only in the Netherlands, they point out.
They call on the Commission to take action under implementing decision 2015/2444 of 17 December 2015 that lays down standard requirements for the submission by member states of national programmes for the eradication, control and surveillance of animal diseases and zoonoses for Union financing. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)