Brussels, 07/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 6 November, the standing committee on the food chain and animal health agreed to further relax the restrictions in force in the United Kingdom on the export and movement of cattle. This relaxation of Community measures to fight foot and mouth in the United Kingdom is due to the fact that no further cases of the disease have been identified since mid-September.
By virtue of provisions supported by the veterinary experts of the EU, the United Kingdom will now be divided into three areas. The south-eastern area, directly surrounding the farms where the cases of foot and mouth were reported, will continue to be considered “high risk”. Exports of ruminants and associated products will continue to be banned and restrictions on cattle movements will remain in place.
A second “buffer” zone, considered to be at “medium risk”, will surround the first zone. Fresh bovine and sheep meat can be exported, subject to strict conditions. Restrictions on movements of suspect cattle or untreated products will remain in place.
The whole of the rest of the country (the third zone) is now considered to be “low risk”. Restrictions on movement will be lifted entirely and exports will be authorised, except for live animals, bovine embryos and frozen sperm, “as a precaution measure”.
Since the disease returned to British soil early in August, the foot and mouth virus has been detected in eight farms in Surrey. More than 1800 animals have been slaughtered.
Cyprus. For the first time in more than 40 years, the foot and mouth virus has been detected on the island of Cyprus. In line with Community legislation in force, the Cypriot government has ordered the slaughter of flocks of sheep and goats hit by the disease and has created delimited protection and monitoring zones around the two contaminated farms, which are situated at Dromolaxia, close to the main international airport of Larnaca, in southern Cyprus. Around 150,000 animals, representing one third of the island's flock, are now inside the sanitary cordon established by the authorities. Cyprus is considered to be a high-risk area, which means that the country is currently banned from exporting cattle or animal products to the EU. Furthermore, the movement of all animals is banned, unless they are to be slaughtered. (L.C.)