Brussels, 23/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has taken on board the aim of animal health strategy consisting of “investing more in preventive measures and a control system, thus reducing the risk of epidemics”. It also signs up to the principle of “prevention is better than cure”. This was what was recommended with the adoption by 482 votes to 9 and 16 abstentions, on Thursday 22 May in Strasbourg, of the report by Janusz Wojciechowski (UEN, Poland), which urges the European Commission to be more ambitious in its new animal welfare strategy 2007-2013 for the European Union (see EUROPE 9634 on the report voted in EP committee).
The Parliament lost no time in stressing that there is no difference between products from vaccinated animals and those obtained from non-vaccinated animals. The EP firmly supports all measures intended to intensify the urgent use of vaccinations (both suppressive and protective) to contribute to preventing illnesses more effectively and to reduce the number of animals that have to be culled when there are outbreaks of diseases. It stresses that the setting in place of an effective vaccination system calls for “provision of appropriate financial support in order to encourage the use of such a system and to ensure that products from vaccinated animals are not subject to any restrictions”. It considers it essential, moreover, that “EU vaccine banks must be expanded” and considers it necessary to apply all measures that can help to “reduce the number of healthy animals slaughtered and disposed of, such as tests to prove that animals are free from pathogens”. Furthermore, MEPs took a stance in favour of a ban on consumer labelling of products derived from vaccinated animals.
The Parliament also stresses the growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics in several animal farming sectors, which can also lead to problems in respect of public health. It urges the Commission, therefore, to present an analysis regarding this problem, where necessary accompanied by proposals within the framework of the animal health strategy.
Risk prevention. The EP considers that the current co-financing instrument should be revised so that all players may assume their responsibilities and play a part in detecting and eradicating disease, and to prevent distortions of competition between farmers in different member states. It calls for increased funding for the EU veterinary fund.
MEPs stress the importance of distance between farms in order to contain diseases and note that the transport of live animals over long distances is of a kind to propagate diseases and hamper measures set in place to counter diseases when there are inappropriate prophylactic measures. They consider that the rules in this respect should be strengthened, mainly the setting in place of a GPS tracking system for lorries. On the other hand, an amendment calling for the introduction of a maximum of 9 hours transport for animals intended for slaughter was rejected.
Given the tense situation on the global market for animal feed, the EP recognises the urgent need of European farmers to have safe and high quality protein feed, in addition to fishmeal, at an affordable price. It also stresses the importance of: - “consistent application of the precautionary principle with respect to the reintroduction of animal protein into feed - other than ruminants - and to avoid the contamination and mixing of types of animal meal in imported feed or feed produced in the member states”. Finally, MEPs consider that better border biosecurity is particularly important in view of the fact that the EU is the world's largest importer of food, including animal products. (L.C.)