The European Commission has approved a financial package of 186.5 million Euros (€) to support programs to eradicate, control, and monitor animal diseases in 2008. For the first time, for some diseases like rabies, multi-year programs lasting from two to five years have also been approved in order to ensure a more efficient and effective achievement of the objectives of those programs. The 197 annual or multi-year programs that were selected for European Union (EU) funding will tackle animal diseases that impact both human and animal health.
For 2008, 61 annual or multi-year programs to eradicate 10 animal diseases have been granted financial support. The total EU contribution to these programs is €70 million. The increased budget from €53 million in 2007 is mainly due to an increased allocation to counter bluetongue disease in many member states.
A financial contribution of €8.6 million to control zoonotic Salmonella in poultry breeder flocks in 19 member states as well as €21.3 million in poultry laying hen flocks (first year) have been allocated for 2008. This is three times the amount allocated for this disease in 2007. Member states will also continue to carry out surveillance for avian influenza in poultry and wild birds in 2008 with €4.3 million from the EU budget.
According to the EU, the overall trend in bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)/transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) is positive and improving year by year due to a good implementation of the monitoring and eradication programs in most member states. The commission has agreed to make €62.4 million available for the monitoring of TSEs, down from €88.4 million in 2007. This year’s amount includes financial support that will be used to carry out rapid tests for the detection of TSEs in cattle, sheep, goats, and deer, and discriminatory tests to exclude BSE in small ruminants as in 2007. For BSE eradication programs across Europe, the EU will give €2.5 million in co-funding in 2008, down from €5.4 million in 2007, reflecting the continuing decline in BSE cases.
Compulsory scrapie eradication measures are in place across Europe, requiring the culling and/or genotyping of animals in infected flocks. This year, €18.1 million is being dedicated to the approved scrapie eradication programs, down from €33.5 million in 2007, reflecting the uptake of funds in 2006.
February 2008 Render