Brussels, 25/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 20 March, Michel Barnier, French Agriculture Minister, announced his country's intention to initiate proceedings at the European Court of Justice against Italian health authorities for failing to fulfil their obligations under Article 227 of the treaty establishing the European Community. Paris reproaches Rome for preventing imports into Italy of French livestock vulnerable to the bluetongue disease.
The Franco-Italian dispute over the vaccination against bluetongue led to a blockade on French bovine exports on 3 March, the date when an Italian decree took effect. The decree stipulates that only animals that have been vaccinated or that are naturally immunised can be sent to Italy from French bluetongue surveillance zones.
The procedure set out in Article 227 of the Treaty is rarely implemented. It provides for prior information to be given to the European Commission which then has three months in which to give an opinion before proceedings are initiated at the European Court of Justice. If the Commission does not give an opinion within three months counting from the request, the fact that there is no opinion is no obstacle to referral to the Court.
Michel Barnier points out that, given the difficulties encountered by French farmers already severely affected by this epizootic, he has managed to find a company that produces vaccines to rapidly provide 400,000 doses allowing 200 000 animals intended for the Italian market to be vaccinated. The vaccination of animals from the 16 French departments affected by this epizootic since 2006 has already begun. France is the first country to have the stereotype 8 vaccine against bluetongue in sheep. Between April and August, over 40 million doses will become available with a view to vaccinate 15 million bovine animals and over 10 million small ruminants.
For now, all attempts at reaching a compromise have failed. On 12 March, France had called on the European Commission to force Italy to accept French bovine exports, even unvaccinated. At the same time, French experts sought to convince the Italians to accept a technical compromise. The French agriculture minister feels that European regulations do not give Italy the right to block imports of bovines not vaccinated against bluetongue in sheep when these have been protected against midges (so-called culicoid midges) and have undergone virological or serological tests. One million French calves (aged 7-9 months) are exported to Italy each year. (L.C.)