Brussels, 07/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - Despite the statements put forward by the United Kingdom aiming to reassure its partners over the development of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease that is affecting its territory, the Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC) favoured, on Tuesday evening, the establishment, until 27 March, of additional precautionary measures: - the EU-wide ban on all transportation of sensitive animals, with the exception of direct journeys between two farms and from the farm to the abattoir; - the EU-wide ban on the assembly of these animals for animal markets and fairs; - the obligation, for the United Kingdom, to disinfect the wheels of vehicles leaving its territory; - the authorisation, for the Member States, to take all measures necessary in order to ensure that travellers from the United Kingdom do not introduce products of animal origin on their soil. The measures imposed on the United Kingdom have been extended for fifteen days (ban on live animal movements of the bovine, ovine, caprine and pig species, embargo on the expedition, after 1 February, of fresh meat, meat by-products, milk and milk products).
All the Member States voted in favour of these measures, with the exception of Italy and Finland, which abstained. Germany and France regretted that the horses have not been taken into account. Italy asserted that the decision by the SVC was insufficient and that it would take more draconian national measures. Moreover, the SVC still does not consider it necessary to have a vaccination campaign, notably because the disease remains, for the moment, isolated to the British territory (no clinical cases of foot and mouth have been found in other countries for the time being). This decision proposal must still be formally adopted by the Commission in the coming days. The situation will be re-examined by the SVC on 20 March.