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The Commission drew the attention of the Council to the state of play of African swine fever (ASF) in the EU and worldwide.
Nine EU member states are currently affected by the disease: Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania (wild boar and farmed pigs), Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Belgium (wild boar only), and Italy (Sardinia only –unrelated epidemic situation).
While the situation in the EU remains stable, since the last discussion on African swine fever in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of January 2019, the disease has continued to spread to vast regions of China and other Asian countries (Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) raising serious concerns in other countries such as the United States and Canada.
In the ensuing debate the delegations that took the floor supported the work of the Commission and advocated a common approachin tackling the disease, and underlined the importance of biosecurity.
In its reply, the Commission reassured member states that the Commission would remain active in fighting ASF and invited member states to remain vigilant and well-prepared, in particular due to the peak of the disease during the summer season.The Commission underlined once again the crucial importance of multi-sectorial cooperation to control the disease.
Monday July 16, 2019/ Consilium/ European Union.
https://www.consilium.europa.eu
