Brussels, 18/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission adopted a proposal for an amendment to the 1985 directive on Community measures to combat foot-and-mouth disease, providing for the possibility of turning to emergency vaccination, without, however, placing into question the current policy of slaughter, which remains the favoured instrument. This proposal describes the procedures enabling a Member State (notably when it has had animals vaccinated urgently) to recover the status of "country free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination", which is of crucial importance for trade.
"Emergency vaccination is moved to the forefront of control measures instead of being the last resort. Our proposal takes into account the lessons learned from the 2001 outbreak and takes up suggestions made by the European Parliament's Temporary Committee on foot-and-mouth disease", Commissioner David Byrne explained (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.11).
For the first time the proposal gives emergency vaccination an important role, without for that going as far as authorising prophylactic vaccination. The Commission suggested the introduction in Community legislation of provisions for emergency vaccination basing itself on: (1) May's modification made by international recommendations for trade in live animals and products of animal origin, notably by the OIE (the World Organisation for Animal Health); (2) new technological developments that allow the use of vaccination in a much more flexible way; (3) the existence today of laboratory tests able to differentiate between vaccinated herds and those infected with the virus.
The proposal for a directive introduces the principle of "regionalisation" of outbreaks, so that the veterinary services can establish suspect restriction zones and impose a temporary movement ban on large parts of affected Member States. Provisions are also made for diagnostic facilities, in particular a Community Reference Laboratory, including a bank for diagnostic reagents, test kits, etc.. In compliance with the OIE criteria, the proposal describes in detail the management of the European antigen bank, and what to do to recover the "country free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination" status within 6 months (against the previous 12) following the last outbreak or completion of vaccination, whichever occurs last. The proposal also provides detailed rules for placing on the market, in case of an outbreak, of products derived from animals of susceptible species (meat and milk products, for example).
Proposals aimed at imposing eartags on sheep and goats
The Commission has also adopted a proposal for a Regulation aimed at gradually imposing in all Member States a system of identification (eartagging) and registration of sheep and goats. Exemption are, however, provided for for the individual tagging of lambs under six months of age reared in extensive and free range conditions. Farm registers will include precise information on identification, sex, breed and genotype (if known), births and deaths as well as movements onto or from the holding. Today, records are kept on the basis of flock movement. A computerised database shall be established by central authorities with as a first step data on farms (keeper, species, number of animals) and, as a second step entries in the database for each movement. In the short term additional costs will have to be met by the sheep and goat business. The Commission recalls that the technology is ready and now systems need to be developed so that electronic identification can be used in practice in the EU. The aim is to move to an electronic system by 1 July 2006.