Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-03-14-Speech-3-188"
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"en.20010314.7.3-188"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, foot-and-mouth disease is a terrible disease. It is immensely infectious and deadly. It also causes major financial damage and great suffering. It is therefore not surprising that this issue is a concern to Parliament now that the first outbreak in many years has been identified within the Union.
On 20 February this year, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was identified in the UK. On 26 February, the UK informed the Council of Agriculture Ministers of the situation in the country and reported on the measures taken to prevent the disease from spreading. As you know, in this area the Council has left it to the Commission, based on decisions taken by veterinary surgeons from the Member States, to decide on measures generally taken by the Member States.
In line with this, the Commission has taken decisions which mean the introduction of certain protective measures to prevent the spread of the disease. The decision means a ban on the export from the UK of live animals, species which are susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease, and milk, meat and other animal products from these species.
On 6 March this year, the Commission took further decisions to ban all transportation of animals which can contract foot-and-mouth disease across the EU and to close down markets and collection centres for animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease across the EU. An exception to this decision allows transportation directly to an abattoir.
At an extraordinary meeting yesterday, the Standing Veterinary Committee was informed that an outbreak had also been identified in north-western France. Measures have been taken there similar to those taken in the UK. Naturally, the issue will be addressed at the next Council of Agriculture Ministers early next week. The EU Veterinary Committee will have its next meeting on 20 March, at which time the situation in the UK and France will be discussed again, along with possible future measures.
The Council regrets the situation in the UK and France and is closely following developments in close contact with the Commission, while at the same time Member States are taking various preventive measures. The Council has complete confidence in the measures which have been taken in the UK and France and in the way the two countries have dealt with the problem.
An outbreak of so infectious and serious a disease as foot-and-mouth is always extraordinarily painful for everyone affected. However, it is particularly difficult when the outbreak affects a group already hard hit, comprising breeders, milk and meat producers and, in particular, smallholders."@en1
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