ASF must be taken seriously by all Member States, recommends Commissioner Hogan
African swine fever is a hot topic these days in Europe, as Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, admitted after meeting, in Austria, with his counterparts from the EU Member States, informs AFP.
"Right now, we don't have the success that we could have (in containing the virus). We need full cooperation from all Member States. We must take very seriously the spreading of this disease and to increase the biosecurity measures", said the Commissioner.
On September 13, the virus was confirmed in Belgium's wild boar population and the local authorities have decided to create a buffer zone by culling 4,000 pigs in the farms nearby. The area is close to the borders of France and Germany and an eventual spread of the disease to these countries could endanger some of the largest pig producers in Europe.
Also, outbreaks have been reported in the last four years in countries such as Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and more recently in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Phil Hogan praised the Belgian authorities for their rapid response but mentioned that East European states have also tried to contain the virus. Discussions about the level of compensations supported by EU will take place today. For now, Commissioner Hogan announced that Belgium will have a 50% financial support from the EU budget to cull the pigs within the buffer zone.
"We are ready to help all Member States in need of consultancy, who want co-funding, to contain this disease, as it is not only a threat to our farmers' incomes but also a threat to the trade in pork in Europe", added Phil Hogan.
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