19/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 189 February, the Netherlands, with strong support (from France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden), called on the European Commission to bring forward an improved proposal on Community co-funding of a mass bluetongue vaccination programme for sheep. The EU budget covers 100% of the costs of the vaccine and 50% of the costs of administering the vaccine, but, in the view of the Netherlands, the current proposal does not reflect the real costs of vaccination. The Commission rejected the request by Belgium to provide exceptional market measures for farmers suffering financial hardship as a result of bluetongue. (L.C.)