On Thursday 13 July, member states’ experts endorsed an update of EU control measures to prevent the spread of African swine flu ahead of a peak in cases expected during the summer.
The new Commission decision modifies ASF regionalisation within the EU. These regionalised restrictions, reviewing the disease control measures for Estonia, Lithuania and Poland, adapt the measures to the evolution of the situation in the field as assurance that the disease free-areas remain disease-free.
On 27 June 2017, the Czech authorities confirmed, for the first time, a case of ASF in wild boar (Zlin region). The member states confirmed, on 13 July, the measures taken by the Commission on 28 June 2017 via specific safeguard measures for the Czech Republic. In practice, this means that wild boar products will not be allowed to leave the infected area and pigs will not be moved from the infected area for intra-Union trade. In addition, the competent authority will have to increase the surveillance of wild boar and pig holdings in the region.
The member states and Commission experts also discussed the African swine flu regionalisation strategy, which is aimed at achieving eradication of disease by the application of harmonised measures. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)