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EU warns against unilateral moves to fight bird flu
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-20 19:39
Europe's health chief warned EU governments on Tuesday not to strike out on their own in the
battle against bird flu and undermine coordinated efforts to prevent the disease from
moving westwards into the EU-25, the Associated Press reported.
"It's very important to have a fully coordinated response to various animal
health threats," EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou
told a news conference following a regular meeting of EU agriculture ministers.
"A fragmented response would not be as effective as a unified coordinated
response," he said. "Based on the concerns of experts ... there is no need for
extra measures besides increased surveillance of both domestic and wild birds."
In an apparent reference to last month's decision by the Netherlands to ban
farmers from keeping poultry outdoors, Kyprianou said it would be better if EU
governments did not take such measures without consulting Brussels first.
The Dutch measure was recently dismissed by EU veterinary experts and the
European Commission as unnecessary. Three German states have issued similar
orders.
Instead, the Commission -- the EU's executive arm -- has recommended that EU
countries increase their surveillance of migratory birds, and places where wild
and domestic birds may make contact with each other, such as ponds.
It has also issued guidelines for testing wild birds to guard against bird
flu, and identified 15 species that may pose a higher risk of transmitting the
virus.
"The veterinary field is a harmonised field. Member states should not take
unilateral action without prior consultation because then this harmonisation is
undermined," Kyprianou said.
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