Brussels, 27/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC), which met on Tuesday in Brussels, decided to extend by one week the Community embargo on British exports toward the Union of live animals (pigs, cattle, sheep and goats) as well as on animal by-products, as a precautionary method to contain the potential risk of spreading the foot and mouth disease to the other Member States. Initially decided until 1 March (see EUROPE of 23 February, p.10), the embargo will now be applied until 9 March. The complete overview of the situation in the United Kingdom, where the disease is gaining ground, convinced the SVC of the need for such a measure. The decision will be reviewed by the SVC during its next meeting (6-7 March) in the light of the results of an examination of the situation that the Commission is keeping a close eye on, in constant consultation with the British authorities.
Council had been informed by United Kingdom of spread of disease
The evolution of the epizootic in the United Kingdom (one of the points on the agenda of Monday's Agriculture Council) had added to the gloom hanging over European stockfarming, already under the cloud of the mad cow crisis. British Minister Nick Brown had informed his colleagues of the situation in his country where five new sources of infection have been identified since the disease first broke out on 20 February. This brings to twelve the number of farms or slaughterhouses already contaminated on British territory. The incineration of thousands of animals has not prevented the virus, which is highly resistant and extremely contagious for all animals, from crossing the quarantine lines set up across the country. Having duly informed the European Commission, Nick Brown confirmed that live contaminated animals could have been exported to other Member Sates before the embargo was decided upon. The European Commission declared itself satisfied with the measures the United Kingdom had taken, considering that what was important now was that France, Germany and the Netherlands seek out all animals received over the past three weeks, as the hypothesis of contamination could not be discarded even though, to date, no case of a sick animal has been detected outside the borders of the United Kingdom.
France has inventoried all ruminants having entered its territory between the beginning of February and 20 February and placed sheep farms under tightened supervision, placing in quarantine those at risk. As a precautionary measure, the Netherlands has slaughtered three thousand animals, Germany four hundred sheep. Spain has announced that it was to slaughter five hundred pigs.