Press Release: Foot-and-mouth disease: Results of the Standing Veterinary Committee

The Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC) gave a favourable opinion on a Commission proposal to extend until 27 March 2001 the existing protective measures adopted in response to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom. The dispatch of live animals, fresh meat and meat products, milk and milk products and other animal products from the UK continued to be prohibited, unless the latter were treated appropriately. In addition to these already existing measures, further precautionary measures would be taken: An EU wide ban of markets and assembly points for all susceptible species, a standstill of all susceptible species except for direct slaughter and direct from farm to farm, subject to authorisation by the competent authorities and disinfection of the tyres of vehicles travelling from the UK to other Member States. The proposal was to be formally adopted by the Commission in mid-March 2001 and would be reviewed at the next meeting of the SVC, scheduled for 20 and 21 March 2001. The Commission and the Member States considered that recourse to vaccination would not be the appropriate response to the outbreak.