Brussels, 04/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - The development of the epizootic of Bluetongue is currently causing some concern. According to the latest figures, more than 23 500 outbreaks of BTV-8 virus have been registered in northern European (Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, the Netherlands in particular) since the beginning of 2007, and the epizootic of BTV-1 is endemic in certain southern countries, such as Spain and Portugal. The chief veterinarians of the EU Member States supported a proposal on Wednesday 3 October to extend restrictions to certain areas previously spared by the disease, such as the south-east of England (Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire) and certain areas of Denmark and the Czech Republic.
The spread of the epizootic did not prevent the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health from voting in favour of loosening the rules which restrict the movement of live animals in the areas of Europe where there are crackdowns on Bluetongue. The draft decision clarifies the conditions for the movement of animals within and from restricted zones where the disease has been identified in several EU Member States. Furthermore, the EU text enables the exportation of animals from the restricted area to be authorised under the condition of 14 day protection against the vector insect and individual virological tests before departure.
Elsewhere, numerous French farmers were protesting on the same day against the restriction imposed at national level for exports of meat to Italy and Spain. Each year France exports around 100 000 “runner calves” (calves aged one year) for around €1 billion. (lc)