Commissie reserveert 185 mln euro voor de bestrijding van dierziektes in 2006 (en)

woensdag 30 november 2005

The European Commission has approved a financial package of €185 million to support programmes to eradicate, control and monitor animal diseases in 2006.The 129 programmes which were approved for EU funding will tackle animal diseases that impact both human and animal health. The large EU contribution towards these programmes reflects the high level of importance attached to disease eradication measures, for the protection of both animal and public health.

Markos Kyprianou i, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said: "We are dedicating important resources in 2006 to fight animal diseases. Healthy animals are the key to safe food. Today's decision reflects our on-going commitment to supporting disease eradication, preventative action, and pro-active monitoring."

Each year the Commission approves programmes for the eradication and monitoring of animal diseases, for the control of zoonoses such as salmonella, and for the monitoring and eradication of TSEs. These approved programmes receive financial contributions from the EU.

Animal disease eradication programmes

For the year 2006, 63 programmes to eradicate 10 major animal diseases were submitted to the Commission, of which 49 have been approved for Community financial support. The total EU contribution to these programmes is €49,730,000.

Within this budget, diseases that might be transmitted to humans are prioritised. Some €26,670,000 will be spent on the eradication of brucellosis, which causes Malta fever in humans (€14,910,000 on bovine brucellosis and €11,760,000 on sheep and goat brucellosis). Another €8,215,000 will be spent on fighting rabies, a highly fatal viral infection of the nervous system. Bovine tuberculosis is also known to be transmissible to humans, so significant sums (€7,905,000) will also be used to combat the remaining cases of this disease.

Zoonoses control programmes

A financial contribution of €4,463,000 to control zoonotic salmonella in poultry in 12 Member States has been approved. Funding has been doubled for these programmes since 2005, reflecting the high level of importance attached to the control of this disease in animal populations.

BSE/TSE monitoring and eradication programmes

For the monitoring of TSEs, the Commission has agreed to make € 88,305,000 available from the EU budget. That includes financial support from the Community for rapid tests to be carried out for the detection of TSE in cattle, sheep and goats and discriminatory tests to exclude BSE in small ruminants. For BSE eradication programmes across Europe, the EU will give €8,710,000 in co-funding.

Compulsory Scrapie eradication measures are in place, requiring the culling and genotyping of animals in infected flocks. Breeding programmes have also been established for TSE resistance in sheep.

This year, €34,138,000 is being dedicated to the approved scrapie eradication programmes.The complete list of approved programmes and EU financial contribution adopted by the Commission can be found in the annexes.

Annex I

Approved programmes for the eradication and monitoring of animal diseases