Brussels, 18/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Union's Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC) approved a draft decision on Wednesday aimed at authorising the Netherlands to again export, under certain conditions, fresh meat and meat products, milk and dairy products from regions in the south and west of the country. The SVC also gave its green light to the application of new restriction measures in Northern Ireland. - The Netherlands: deliveries of live animals susceptible to the disease (ovine, porcine, bovine and caprine) from throughout the territory and products from the northern and eastern provinces remain banned. Following a regionalised approach, meat based products, milk and dairy products will be authorised from the area south of the river Rijn-Waal-Mervede and west of the A-27 motorway. The SVC thus took account of the intention of the Dutch authorities to set up strict controls on the movement of animals in the regions concerned and resolve the problem of the wellbeing of the animals linked to the current restrictions. The Netherlands will have to respect several conditions so as to allow for this decision to take effect: - control of movements between these areas subjected to restrictions and the other regions; - the authorities must put in place clinical inspections in abattoirs to detect symptoms of the illness; - no meat may leave abattoirs in the 24 hours following the cull. - Northern Ireland: the appearance of two new outbreaks of foot-and-mouth in northern Ireland convinced the SVC to approve the Commission's proposal of not removing this territory from the list of measures applicable to the United Kingdom. The green light was therefore provided to extending the precautionary measures in force, which are: ban on the export of live animals of species susceptible to the disease, fresh meat and related products, milk and dairy products, as well as any product coming from these species, except if all these products have been formerly subjected to appropriate treatment. - Transhumance: so as to authorise transhumance of susceptible species, the Commission formally amended the decision that, so far, imposed restrictions on the movement of animals throughout the EU.
The question of the possible introduction of a vaccine against foot-and-mouth in the German Land of Rheinland North-Westphalia was withdrawn from the SVC's agenda at Germany's request. This request may be explained by the need to examine the possible consequences of such a vaccination campaign or the Laender. This subject may be broached at the nedxt meeting of the SVC, scheduled for Monday next.